


Suits and Stilettos

by Aimz777



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha Ben, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Ben is an Ass, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hux is Louis Litt-obviously, Jealousy, Lawyers AU, Mildly Dubious Consent, Misogynistic Behaviour, Modern AU, Omega Rey, Plot Twist, Possessive Behavior, Protective Ben, Rey kicks ass, Romance, Slow Burn, Strong Language, Suits AU, Tropes Ahoy, background finnrose - Freeform, but softboi is in there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2019-06-18 11:08:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 67,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15484449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aimz777/pseuds/Aimz777
Summary: Ben Solo, protégé to James Snoke at the prestigious Kenobi-Snoke-Organa law firm, is tasked with employing a male Alpha Associate from one of the Trinity law schools.  Why then, he hires Rey Jensen – a female Omega from Jakku Law with a photographic memory and a stubborn streak to rival any Alpha – is anyone’s guess.Luckily no one knows she's an Omega except him.Unfortunately for Ben, her intoxicating scent is messing with his head and he is increasingly growing to resent the fact that he isn’t like every other person on the planet that simply can’t smell her.–The A/B/O modern day lawyers fic kind of (but not really) based off the show Suits





	1. Greenback Boogie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, friends, to my second Reylo fanfic!
> 
> Are people over the whole A/B/O thing yet? Probably, because I am super late to this party, but the idea popped in my head and it just won’t go away. Let me know if you like it and I will continue.
> 
> This is very, VERY loosely based off the show Suits - like kind of, but not really. It mainly draws from the basic premise of the show (ie, guy hires someone that he isn’t supposed to who has a secret from the rest of the firm) so yeah, you definitely DO NOT need to have seen the show to read this train wreck!
> 
> Also, to any lawyers or law students reading this – I am so, so sorry! I know nothing about law, so anything in here is probably from Google… Please read with a massive pinch of salt :)
> 
> There will be naughtiness, a decent amount of it, because what kind of A/B/O fic would be complete without that, so I am rating it as Explicit from the beginning. Also, this being A/B/O, it will feature those dynamics, feel free to pass on this one if the idea of that squicks you out at all.
> 
> In terms of ages, Ben is 35 and Rey is 25.
> 
> Without further delay, let’s jump right in, shall we…

 

Ben Solo wakes to the blinding sun streaming in through the curtains of a stranger’s bedroom. It’s becoming an all too common occurrence.

He rubs his eyes roughly and yawns before reaching for his phone on the tacky pine bedside table.

Seven-thirty AM.

Shit, he’s already running late for work.

It’s not something he feels terribly bad about, seeing as he only left the office seven hours ago. He’d been there late, closing a particularly lucrative, time sensitive deal at Snoke’s behest.  Those kinds of cases always land in his lap.  He is the best, so it’s understandable.

Beside him, his other conquest from last night stirs – a pretty, redheaded Omega with long legs and perky tits. He’d found her at the wine bar he’d made a beeline for the second his client signed on the dotted line and he’d only needed the twenty minutes before closing time to close the deal with her.

The Omega – _Jenny, he thinks her name is, or is it Janie, or maybe Julie_ – is exactly his type.  Beautiful, submissive, gullible and most importantly, easy to escape from.  She might know the taste of his cock, but she doesn’t know where he lives, or what he does, and best of all, she thinks his name is _Kylo Ren_ – an alter ego left over from his college fraternity, so she won’t even be able to track him down.  When he leaves her place this morning, he’ll never have to see her again, and that’s just how he likes it.

He is not, however, averse to giving her a decent goodbye, and so when she rolls over and whines for her _big, strong Alpha_ , he is more than happy to oblige and add another half an hour or so to his tardiness.

He is _such_ a selfless guy.

***

Ben heads straight for Snoke’s office when he finally arrives at the Kenobi-Snoke-Organa headquarters an hour and a half later. Since seven that morning he has received two texts from Bazine - Snoke’s assistant - and five from Hux, asking him where he is, so he figures he’ll save some time and go there first.

Bazine – just one of many Omegas in support roles at the firm – is sitting at her desk outside Snoke’s office wearing a low cut, lacy camisole and skin tight, mauve pencil skirt, twirling a strand of her shiny, jet back hair with one sharply manicured finger.

“Looking stunning today, Baz.”

She smiles up at him, batting her long eyelashes.

“I could say the same about you, Ren.”

Thanks to Hux, a variation of Ben’s college nickname had endured and bled into his time at KSO, although it was really only adopted by Snoke’s side of the firm.

Ben doesn’t have to poke his head inside Snoke’s office to know he isn’t there. The whole office is panelled by crystal clear glass.

“He’s waiting for you in your office,” Bazine offers in response to his unverbalised question.

“Good or bad?” he asks, wanting to know the fate that awaits him.

“I’m not sure. Hux was with him.”

That doesn’t sound good.

He throws Bazine the most charming smile he can muster.

“Thanks, Baz. You always look out for me.”

She gives him a sly grin in return.

“You know, if you want, I’m sure you could figure out a way make it up to me…”

Ben sighs and cocks his head to the side.

“Come on, Baz, you know I don’t get involved with people I work with.”

“Can't you make an exception, just once?” she pouts, innocently peering up at him through her lashes, even though he knows she’s anything but. Hux hadn’t exactly been discrete after he managed to get under her skirt at an end of year function last year.

Still, remaining in Snoke’s executive assistant’s good books is imperative to navigating this office, so he gives her a wink and replies suavely, if not sincerely, “If I did, it would be for you, darling.”

That seems to appease her, and he makes his way without any further delay to his own office, where Snoke and Hux are waiting for him.

Hux, in particular, looks especially resentful this morning. There has been a healthy – and at times unhealthy – competition flourishing between Armitage Hux and Ben Solo since they attended law school together over ten years ago. It was bound to happen - two Alphas of similar intelligence and each as ambitious as the other, desperate to beat the competition and prove themselves.

“Nice of you to show up, Ren. This must be a personal best; only two hours late and wearing yesterday's suit.”

“My apologies, Hux. I would have gone home to change but your mother begged me not to leave before knotting her one last time.  It just didn’t seem right to deny such a lovely creature.” He can’t quite contain the smug smirk that spreads over his face as Hux’s cheeks flush the same shade as his hair. 

“Ha, ha,” Hux sneers snidely. “My mother lives in Arkanis.”

“Hence why I’m so late,” Ben returns with an easy smile.

“If you two have had enough of your childish squabbling,” Snoke interrupts, taking a seat on one of the plush suede couches in Ben’s office, “we have important things to discuss.”

James Snoke had taken the both of them under his wing from early on in their careers.

Ben had been first, he’d known Snoke his whole life. He’d spent his whole childhood at the firm since Leia had always been chained to her desk, slaving away in a relentless bid to make partner. It had been nice to have someone actually pay attention to him for once, help him a bit with his homework and later give him career advice and connect him with the right contacts from each of the Trinity law schools – Galactic, Uscru and Coronet.

Later Hux had joined the fold, after Ben met him at Galactic University. Snoke encouraged the rivalry, pitting them against each other at every opportunity.  Part of Ben thinks Snoke only keeps Hux around to make sure he doesn’t become too complacent.

In reality though, the identity of Snoke’s MVP is a no brainer.

If you need help with a complicated maths equation, or someone to filter through a dry as fuck deposition, Hux is your guy. But when the stakes are high and the shit has hit the fan with unruly CEOs or stubborn witnesses, that’s Ben’s department.  He has a reputation as the best closer in the city, and he has earned it.

Ben takes a seat opposite Snoke, while Hux chooses to remain standing off to the side near Ben’s bookcase, eyeing the numerous ornaments placed there with varying degrees of disdain.

“Excellent work sorting out the dispute between the Guavians and Kanjiklub last night, Ren.” Snoke says as he lounges back in his chair, eyeing his protégé. “I heard Bala was being particularly difficult before you stepped in.”

“It was easy,” Ben says dismissively. “Just had to play on his gigantic ego.”

“Well, it was nicely done,” Snoke continues. “With those two parties cooperating, the rest of the merger should go through with little hassle.”

Ben nods, rubbing his stubbly chin that he didn’t get a chance to shave this morning.

“I could have sorted out Tik,” Hux grumbles from the corner.

“Oh yeah, great idea. Send in the sadistic accountant to resolve a conflict,” Ben replies sarcastically.  “You know what they say, every good merger begins with a bloodbath.”

Hux starts to protest and they dissolve back into their earlier spat, but Snoke has evidently had enough.

“ _Enough_ ,” he bellows, thumping the coffee table with his open palm.

Both men stop in their tracks like naughty children being chastised and immediately return their attention to their boss.

“Now, moving on,” Snoke continues, the silky quality returning to his voice, “we have something else to discuss.” He turns to Ben.  “I am putting you in charge of the search for the new first year associate.”

“What?” Ben asks incredulously.

“You heard me.”

This must be a joke. Snoke knows him well, he knows he doesn’t play well with others, especially other Alpha males. 

“Why don’t we just hire that drip of an intern that’s been skulking around here all summer?”

“Believe it or not, Ren, but I’m not interested in investing in ‘drips’. We have to continue to strengthen the firm.  An injection of fresh, premium blood is essential.”

Yes, yes, Ben has heard the spiel before. Bring them in early, train them in our ways, develop them, make them the best, and inspire undying loyalty so they never leave.

“The best way to strengthen the firm is by hiring someone other than the average law school douche,” Ben retorts. “We need someone sharp, quick on their feet, not just another Alpha moron from the Trinity clone factory.”

“Ren,” Hux drawls from the corner, “the fact that we only hire Alphas from the Trinity schools gives us a cache that is a little more valuable than hiring some Beta with half a brain from the Underground.”

Ben rolls his eyes, waving off Hux’s remonstration with a hand.

“They have to be Alpha, they have to be male, and they have to be from a Trinity college, Ren,” Snoke states with an air of finality. “None of those are negotiable.”

“I suppose diversity isn’t an objective, then,” Ben mutters.

“I don’t want diversity. Find me another you,” Snoke instructs.

“Can’t you get someone else to do it?”

Snoke leans back in his chair and surveys his protégé.

“Well I would, Ren” he says softly, “but it is customary for all senior partners to choose an associate.”

His words linger between the three of them, before settling into place in Ben’s head.

_Senior partner._

_Does that mean…_

Hux gets there first.

“I’m sorry, what?!” he splutters, his face blotching in an incredibly unattractive way. “Sir, my billables destroy his.  I’m here day and night, slaving away.  I deserve that promotion.”

“Hux,” Snoke interrupts with a raised hand, “this isn’t up for discussion.” He stands, rebuttoning his expensive suit jacket and turns to Ben.  “Ren, don’t disappoint me.”

Ben nods back and Snoke takes his leave of them.

Hux seems to have not quite unstuck from the shock of Snoke’s announcement.

He should really give Hux a break, it must be a blow for the poor guy.

“Hux, please, no need to get upset. I’m sure your time will come.”  Ben says, before he grins over at him.  “Now if you don’t mind stepping out of my office, I need to make a personal call.  Your mother is going to be so thrilled to hear that I made senior partner.”

***

Ben drops a large stack of resumes on Maz’s desk.

“Maz, do me a favour and comb through these. Filter out all the women, any non-Alphas and anyone that hasn’t graduated from a Trinity college, as well as any CVs that have typos.”

If there is one thing Ben cannot stand, it is poor spelling and grammar.

The older woman, who has been his assistant since he first made junior partner, arches an eyebrow at him. The judgemental look on her face makes her meaning clear, and as a female Omega, he can’t exactly blame her.

He shrugs his shoulders.

“Snoke wants an Alpha male.”

“Hmm, I bet he does,” she replies pointedly.

He sighs.

Sure, it’s not the direction he would go in if he was at the helm, but he can understand the reasoning behind it. Their average clients are wealthy people in positions of power – CEOs and entrepreneurs – people who also often happen to be male Alphas.  As a rule, those types of people look for certain qualities in the lawyers they choose to represent them. 

Essentially, they want to be looking into a mirror.

Ben gets that. What kind of billionaire wants to be represented by a mediocre Beta or a meek and mild Omega?

For that reason, the firm had always leaned predominately Alpha - most law firms do. Even when he was growing up, back in the days where it was just Kenobi-Snoke, the Alphas outnumbered all other designations.  When Old Ben Kenobi passed, Snoke and Leia came to some kind of agreement whereby Snoke took over the Managing Partner title.  With the leadership change, a new decree was passed for KSO to become _Alpha only_ , and Snoke had gone a step further within his own team and only employed male lawyers.

He had to be cleverer about that one – employment laws for genders were somewhat absurdly stricter than those for designations.

He couldn’t stop Leia from hiring women, so the odd female Alpha lawyer could still be seen floating around the office, but they are an endangered breed.

That’s not to say there are no KSO employees outside of the Alpha designation, because Snoke isn’t averse to hiring Betas for paralegal work or Omegas for secretarial duties. He is just very particular about the designation matching the job description.

They are hardly the most progressive law firm in Chandrila, but they do have a reputation as _the best_ , so something about Snoke’s strategy must be paying off.

The laws regarding designations are changing so rapidly that Snoke would probably only get away with this level of discrimination for a few more years before the various regulatory bodies start to crack down on it, and then the strategy would have to be tweaked. But until then…

At the end of the day, Ben doesn’t make the rules, he’s just playing with the pieces on the board.

Now if his damned secretary would just stop giving him the stink eye…

“Please, Maz? I get it, I do.  I’m as excited by the prospect of picking one of these dull douchebags as you are, but you know how it is.”

Maz shakes her head crossly, but she starts sorting through the files all the same, and Ben breathes a sigh of relief.

When she comes in an hour later and hands him four resumes, he looks at her, puzzled.

“Where are the rest?”

“What can I tell you,” she says with a hand on her hip, still looking put off from their earlier conversation, “the Trinity colleges must be so busy breeding the finest lawyers that they forgot to teach their students how to spell – or at least how to use spellcheck.”

Ben scoffs and rubs his neck in frustration. He flicks through a couple of the resumes that are dry enough to send him off to sleep, and works his jaw.

If Snoke finds out he only bothered to interview four people, he will be accused of half-assing it.

“Pick out a few of the more impressive resumes from outside the Trinity schools and add them to the mix. I’d be interested to see the comparison anyway.” 

Maz nods.

“When you’re done,” he calls after her, “contact each of them and set up the meetings. They are to be there an hour early and I want them all there at the same time.  Let them see the competition and stew for a while, I want to see who gets rattled and who thrives.  Hire the First Order room at the Supremacy for the interviews,” he adds at the end. 

These are probably all stuffy rich kids who have never done a real day of work in their lives up till now. They most likely frequent establishments like the Supremacy as an honoured guest on a regular basis, used to ordering around the staff and clocking up charges on Daddy’s credit card. He wants them to have to go there in a humbled position, without their usual inherited power. He wants them to feel out of their comfort zone, to be unsure whether they are good enough.

Is he a hypocrite for wanting this?

_Maybe._

He still wants it all the same. If he has to hire one of these idiots, he wants to have a little fun with them first.

***

Ben sneaks a quick peek outside of the First Order room to the waiting area and sighs.

This is exactly what he feared – a bunch of mindless drones in pristine suits that cost more than their potential first month’s salary.

Maz sends in the first stooge, and Ben nearly sends him straight back out again.

When questioned, Brandon Lawson can’t recite a single thing about Kenobi-Snoke-Organa, except that their office is on Maine Street near ‘ _the really good whisky joint’_ , which, while true, is hardly the answer he is looking for.

He also lists his communication skills as one of his top three qualities, which Ben has a hard time believing, since he’s equally torn between wanting to jump out the window and bursting his own eardrums with the pen he’s holding just so he doesn’t have to hear him drone on for another monosyllabic, monotoned sentence.

Things don’t get much better with interviewee number two.

He is just as dry as the first, and has an annoying habit of tapping on the desk during any pause that extends longer than three seconds.

Ben also wants to know if the Trinity colleges have developed some kind of policy whereby they only accept students with Christian names as surnames.

_Carl Daniels, Luke Michaels, Jason Cameron._

It’s a god damned epidemic.

When he sends the third guy packing, he buries his head in his hands and groans. He is busy rubbing his eyes when the door opens again to permit the fourth candidate.

“Rough day?” a very feminine voice asks wryly.

Ben’s eyes fly open to see a woman – a very beautiful, tanned brunette in fact – standing by the door, her mouth curved in a soft smile. She is dressed in a white button-up blouse and dark grey slacks that, while definitely not tailored, do appear to fit her slim figure rather well.

She’s not carrying a water jug, so he assumes she’s not one of the hotel staff sent to replenish the refreshments.

His brow furrows as he asks irritably, “Who are you?”

She strides across the room and holds out a hand across the desk for him to shake.

“Rey Jensen, Sir. Pleased to meet you.”

He eyes her extended hand, but doesn’t take it, instead reaching for the files on his desk. Sure enough, the next name in the pile is one _Rey Jensen_ , an Alpha from Jakku University who Maz must have picked out as one of his alternates.  Her CV makes no mention of her gender, and her name is such that he can understand how Maz could have mistaken her for a man.

“You’re here to interview?”

She raises an eyebrow at him.

“Well yes, I thought that much was obvious.” She motions to her CV still in his hands.  Something about the way she regards him puts him on edge, like she’s conducting some kind of critical assessment of him.  He doesn’t like that.  “I assume that isn’t going to be a problem?”

Oh no, he definitely doesn’t like that. Not one bit.

This is his show. He is the one with the upper hand, _she_ should be the one feeling intimidated.

Ben grinds his teeth and studies her with narrowed eyes.

He should tell her to leave. Snoke wants a male Alpha, he’s made that abundantly clear, and Jakku is hardly an acceptable substitute for one of the Trinity colleges.

But there is something about this girl, something he can’t quite put a finger on, and he finds that he doesn’t want to dismiss her just yet.

She stands before him with a quietly resolute confidence he so rarely sees anymore. Most people he works with spend their days shouting about their brilliance at the top of their lungs to hide their own incompetence. 

The four short sentences she’s uttered since stepping into the room have him more intrigued than the last two hours of interviews combined.

Picking one of the alternates was never an option, he had just been humouring himself with the idea, so nothing has really changed. He can see this interview through as he always intended. 

 _She_ doesn’t need to know she doesn’t have a chance.

“Take a seat, Miss Jensen,” he instructs brusquely, indicating the empty chair across from his own. She slowly withdraws her hand and does as he says. 

The movement allows him to get a whiff of her. She has that Alpha smell, which does nothing for him.  When Alphas scent each other, they smell competition, not a mating partner.

That’s good, because if it wasn’t for that, for her jarring Alpha scent that reminds him vaguely of methylated cleaning products, he might be in some danger of being _distracted_ , for she really is quite attractive in a quiet, unassuming way.

She is very small for an Alpha, though. Short and slender.

Very unusual.

Ben leans back in his chair and fixes her with his most imperious stare, his inner Alpha eager to reassert dominance.

“So,” he starts, taking his time to flip through her resume, “your test scores are impressive - although I don’t know what kind of examination standards Jakku Law maintains.”

Her left eye twitches at the slight, but she recovers quickly, replying, “The same as any other law school, I assure you.”

He hides his scoff by turning it into a cough.

“Yeah okay, I’ll pretend that’s true.”

The positive, colourful bubble that has been her aura since entering the room begins to dim as she struggles to hide her offence. Ben, on the other hand, is greatly cheered by this turn of events.

“If you were lucky enough to be chosen for this position,” he continues, “what are the three best traits you believe you would bring to the role?”

“Well,” she starts, plastering the polite smile back on her face, “I'm a fast learner, I always conduct myself with integrity, and I have compassion for others.”

He pauses to give her an incredulous look.

“And you think that last point is a good trait for a lawyer at a high powered firm?”

“Absolutely,” she nods.

He huffs out a humourless laugh.

“How so?”

“Compassion is essential to show the clients that we care, that they can trust us.”

“The best way to make clients happy isn’t by _caring._ It’s by _winning_.”

“Well,” she counters thoughtfully, “without compassion, we have no soul. That kind of cold blooded attitude is what gives lawyers a bad name.  We are often engaged during times of hardship for our clients – to deal with disputes or allegations or bankruptcies, business deals gone bad, broken relationships.” She gives a little shrug.  “I don’t think a little kindness during our clients’ darker and more challenging moments can hurt.”

Ben chews on the inside of his cheek and eyes her critically.

While her viewpoint may be in complete opposition to his whole career philosophy, he has to concede that she made her point well. She didn’t back down, and even though he made it clear he disagreed with her point, she stuck to her guns and stood by her beliefs.  There’s something to respect in that.

Despite their differing opinions, Ben can’t help but feel a little… _impressed_.

_Fucking hell._

He clears his throat and changes the subject.

“I can see you have a 4.0 grade point average and plenty of glowing recommendations from your professors. Why is it that you want to work at Kenobi-Snoke-Organa?”

The girl is exuding that effervescent energy again, apparently bolstered by his unwillingness to counter her last point. It’s annoying, that’s for sure.

“I’ve always wanted to go into commercial law. KSO has a reputation for being the best. That's what I want to be, so that's where I _need_ to be.”

He nods, biting back a smile. Such an _Alpha_ thing to say.

“I've been following the careers of several of the partners for years,” she continues enthusiastically, “Leia Organa in particular. She has been a huge inspiration for me as a woman in this field.”

 _Ah_.

And she had been doing so well.

What a shame. At least he doesn’t have to feel conflicted about his ultimate decision.

“Yes, well,” he interjects, jutting out his chin in irritation, “in theory Leia Organa is certainly a paragon for greatness, but in reality she may disappoint you.”

“I don’t see how she could,” the girl shoots back, looking particularly indignant that he has insulted her idol. “I’ve memorised all her papers, her viewpoint is always sound and thought provoking, examining old topics in new, interesting ways.”

“You’ve memorised all her papers?” Ben repeats dubiously. “I doubt you’ve even _read_ all her papers, Miss Jensen.  Over the past twenty years, she’s written over fifty of them.”

“Sixty-two, actually.”

He feels his eyebrows disappear into his hairline, but feels powerless to stop it.

“Miss Jensen,” he says seriously, “you can’t possibly be insinuating you have read and memorised all sixty-two papers.”

There’s no way, even _he_ hasn’t done that.

But the girl just nods, and now he’s really pissed off, because such a blatant lie in an interview might fly at other firms, but not at this one, and certainly not today.

“I think you’re a liar,” he challenges, folding his arms across his chest.

She takes in a deep breath, not flinching from his unwavering eye contact.

“Pick one. Pick a paper and I will recite it.”

The girl is clearly mental.

“Okay,” he says slowly, sifting through his mother’s articles in his head. In the end he chooses one that she published a month ago, since it is unlikely to have made any of the syllabuses yet. “The Empire Strikes Back: Fossil Fuel Companies, Investor-State Dispute Settlement and International Trade.”

He waits for her to hesitate, to flail, to stutter. He waits for the inevitable excuse headed his way – _oh, I was only talking about articles she’s written in relation to Intellectual Property._

Except _.._.

“’Transformative and accountable climate governance must address trade and investment law. As part of that agenda, there is a need to ensure that investor-state dispute settlement clauses in trade agreements are not used to delay, disrupt, and block action in respect of the governance of the environment, biodiversity, and the climate.’”

She recites it with complete clarity, perfectly annunciating every syllable, and he knows, _he knows_ his jaw is on the floor, but he can’t quite manage to roll it back up.

“Should I continue?” she asks sardonically.

“How… how did you-”

“I like to read,” she shrugs. “Once I read something, I understand it, and then I never forget it.”

He rubs his jaw absentmindedly, drinking her in with his eyes.

Full of surprises, this one.

How is it that this curious little thing has just fallen into his lap?

The damnedest part of it all is he can’t even do anything about it. She has ten times the charisma of the other dolts outside and might possibly be the most fascinating person to ever interview for KSO, and he can’t even consider her for the role.

He needs to end this now. _Right now_.  Before he does something impulsive and stupid that loses him his promotion.

“Look, Miss Jensen, as fascinating as this has all been, I’m not quite sure you’re going to be the right fit for our organisation. But thank you for your time, it has been most enlightening.”

“ _Excuse me_?”

Oh, she’s not happy about being dismissed. Not happy _at all_. He knew she wouldn’t be; Alphas are never good with rejection.

He stands, buttoning his jacket as a further sign the interview is over, and walks around to her side of the desk.

He holds out his hand to her– a peace offering of sorts – but then she rises from her chair and the air in the room shifts.

He is closer to her than ever, and without any forewarning whatsoever, a new scent hits him square in the face.

Not the chemical, unpleasant scent of Alpha.

_This is something else._

It’s the barest hint, but it’s under his nose now, sweet and luxurious, intoxicating and unyielding, spreading like wildfire through his sensory neurons, until all rational thought and workplace decorum is forgotten and replaced by pure biological instinct.

His outstretched hand whips over - quick as a flash - to grasp her own wrist, and he pulls her roughly to him as his heart pumps wildly.

It is unbelievable, yet undeniable, and when Ben speaks, it’s a rumble, low and soft and deep-

“ _Omega_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pfft, sorry guys, that was so much longer than I intended the first chapter to be!
> 
> So… whatchya think? Worth continuing?
> 
> Chapter note: Leia’s article is actually a real life law article (yes, even the title!), written by Matthew Rimmer, so if it interests you go check it out :)
> 
> I have posted a very amateurish cover for this fic on my tumblr, so head over there if you're interested.
> 
> Also feel free to check out my other Reylo fic, Rey’s Dos and Don’ts, a College AU where Rey is in major denial about her feelings for the captain of the men's basketball team! There’s only one more chapter to go, and for those wondering it should be up in the next week or two.
> 
> Check it out [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14769464/chapters/34156511).
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	2. Not Just a Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben learns more about Rey and conducts a little experiment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, welcome back and thank you for all the amazing feedback regarding this fic! I am really excited for this one, I think it should be a fun ride!
> 
> This story will be quite plotty – potentially more so than your standard A/B/O fic that can often become a non-stop smut fest (not that there is anything wrong with that :D ) The smut will come, just not straight away, but hopefully it will be worth the wait!
> 
> Chapter names for this fic will all come from songs featured on the show Suits. The title from Chapter 1 is Greenback Boogie by Ima Robot - the Suits theme song (it’s ICONIC, by the way). This chapter is named after the song by She Wants Revenge. 
> 
> Please note: There is use of the Alpha push concept in this chapter, which could be classified as non-con, so if that bothers you or triggers you, you may wish to skip. I have included the Mildly Dubious Consent tag due to the alpha push and general a/b/o concept, but don’t worry, Ben will not be forcing himself on Rey sexually or vice versa (I’m not a fan of writing that personally). In future chapters there will also be some jealousy/possessive behaviour, which will swing both ways. Again, I don’t believe it's anything too off-putting but thought I would flag it just to be safe.
> 
> And with all that said, let’s get back to the story!

When Rey had sent her CV in to Kenobi-Snoke-Organa several weeks ago, she had known it might end up being one of the stupidest things she’d ever done. It was certainly one of the most daring.

The thing is, she hadn’t been lying when she said she’d been following KSO for years. She knows their reputation. She knows the deal.

 _Not an Alpha? Not a KSO lawyer_.

Without marking herself as an Alpha instead of an Omega, she wouldn’t have had a chance, and she was already at a disadvantage by not graduating from a Trinity college. So really, she was left with no choice but to lie on her profile.  And truly, it was such an archaic notion – the Alpha only policy - that she didn’t even feel that bad about it.

She knows her reasons for doing this. She knows how important it is that she work there _no matter what_ , even if she needs to keep those reasons to herself.

It’s all feeling a little hazy now, though.

See, the problem is, Rey isn’t the greatest liar at the best of times.

She also hadn’t been expecting to walk into the room twenty minutes ago and be greeted by…

 _Him_.

Which was also stupid, because for the exact same reason she changed her designation on her CV, she shouldn’t have been surprised to find herself interviewed by an Alpha.

It’s just… well, there are Alphas, like the ones she’s been sitting next to in the waiting room for the last couple of hours, and then there are _Alphas_.

Alphas like _him_.

Unbelievably tall, impossibly broad and incredibly good looking, with dark, smouldering features that contrasted so pleasantly against his pale skin, dressed in a suit that fitted his body perfectly and likely cost double her monthly rent.

Yeah, he… he is something else.

Not only did he look… _good_ \- yeah, good will do - he also smelt amazing.  It hit her hard, the second she walked into the room, stronger than a scent has ever hit her before, even when she hasn’t been stuffed to the brim with suppressants like she is at the moment, and it makes her wonder if he is on enhancers or something.

Still, she had managed to regain control of her faculties just in time and had knocked back every tricky question he shot at her, and for a foolish second, she actually thought she might have had a chance, that she might get away with it, but apparently - from the look Ben Solo is giving her now and his sudden, brash actions - she hasn’t.

Which is… yeah. It is decidedly _not good_.

And now, now she is near flush against his chest from him pulling her closer, and it takes her a moment to deal with the sudden proximity shift, which has amplified his Alpha scent further, and if she thought it was bad before, well… Now it’s pretty much overwhelming.

It’s the word - _Omega_ , spoken in his deep, gravelly voice - that jolts her out of her daze and sparks her back to life.

She yanks her arm out of his grasp and glares up at him.

“Get off me!”

She watches his eyes dilate and nostrils flare, and for a moment, she wonders if maybe she might be in way, _way_ over her head, but then he seems to come to his own senses and takes a step back.

He doesn’t apologise though, nor look in any way remorseful.

“You are, aren’t you,” he says. It doesn’t really sound like a question, so she doesn’t answer.  “How the hell did you think you would get away with this?”

Well, that’s just the thing, isn’t it?

Because in reality, Rey has been passing herself off as an Alpha for _years_ with no trouble at all. 

The treatment of Omegas in society has always been poor, and growing up in Jakku where the people were generally less civilised only compounded the problem, so Rey came to the conclusion very quickly that it was safer for her if the world at large believed she was an Alpha. Where she grew up, the soft and meek were trampled; she had to be tough in order to survive.

Besides, she _liked_ being an Alpha. Sometimes she even wondered if she had been incorrectly assigned – her natural personality always seemed to be more aligned to the stereotypical traits of the Alpha.

Thankfully for her, companies have been constantly coming out with innovative products designed to mimic or manipulate a person’s designation, with artificial Alpha fragrances, anti-lubricants and even prosthetic pieces - that Rey has heard about but never looked into - on the market these days.

Between her ridiculously high dosage of suppressants - which effectively removes all hint of her Omega scent and dampens many other Omega traits - and her liberal use of _Alphem Eau de Parfum_ , she has never been outed as an Omega unless she has confessed the truth willingly.

So in actuality, she had no reason to assume she _wouldn’t_ get away with it.  In fact, what she can’t figure out, is how she _didn’t_.

She doesn’t want to tell him that, though, so she opts for silence instead.

He huffs out a humourless laugh as he rubs his temple.

“Unbelievable,” he mutters under his breath, stepping back again before giving his head a sharp shake. “It doesn’t matter.  This interview is over.  You can show yourself out.”

She throws him an indignant scowl.

“I’m not ready to leave yet,” she shoots back, digging her heels in.

Metaphorical heels – she only ever wears flats.

“I don’t care,” he retorts, punctuating every word as he props a hand on the desk and leans over menacingly. “I’ve caught you red-handed, lying on your resume. You’re done.  Get out.”

“And you expect me to believe that I would have made it to this room today if I had flagged myself as an Omega?” she cries hotly.

At her words, his eyes narrow and he works his jaw.

“You’re right, you wouldn’t have,” he concedes unabashed.

“Do you think that’s fair, in this day and age, for a company to discriminate like that?”

“I don’t care if it’s _fair_.  It’s a deal breaker.”

“It’s idiotic, that’s what it is.”

He remains unfazed.

“At Kenobi-Snoke-Organa, all our practicing lawyers are exclusively Alpha. It gives us a niche that sets us apart from our competition.  It provides our clients with a guarantee that the lawyer looking after them is strong, aggressive and dominant.  A true leader _.”_ He sounds a little bored as he says it, like he’s rattling off a prepared speech he’s been forced to learn by heart and give a million times.  Then his mouth curves into a wicked little smirk. “The only Omegas you’ll meet at our office are secretaries who suck Alpha cock under desks and get knotted in bathrooms during after-work drinks on Fridays.”

And just like that, there is nothing she’d like more than to beat his smug face in with a tyre iron. She’ll do the time - it would be worth it, and she’s sure replaying the act in her head could keep her entertained for years.

Still, she must be cool.

He is the gatekeeper, and she needs a key. She won’t be deterred, not even by him.

She doesn’t have a tyre iron handy right now, anyway.

“Careful,” Rey says instead, “someone might find that statement offensive. I think they prefer the term _Executive Assistants_ these days.”

“Trust me, they don’t care what you call them once you’re locked inside them.”

“You’re a pig,” she tells him, stating it like it’s a fact – _which it is_.

“No, I’m an _Alpha_ , and you’re wanting to walk into a den of them.”

“Being an Alpha doesn’t automatically make you a disgusting human being.”

“Hey, I’m doing you a favour. Look at you - already got your panties in a twist, and trust me when I tell you you’ll hear much worse before lunch on your first day than anything I’ve said here. KSO is not the place for a girl like you - you wouldn’t last a day.”

She seethes silently, willing him to burst into flames through nothing but the power of positive thinking.

 _Now is the time to leave_ , the sane part of her brain thinks.  She’d given it a go, and she along with all others of her designation have been thoroughly humiliated. She should really just call it a day.

Except she can’t, can she?

She _has_ to get this job, she must get into KSO somehow, and if she has to bury her ego and scruples and every inch of her pride and bite her tongue until it bleeds to do so… well then, that’s what she has to do.

Luckily, she sees a new avenue to pursue, and does so with abandon.

“Okay, I’ll accept that challenge. Give me a trial run, and we will see if I make it past the first day or not.”

He looks at her blandly.

“I was speaking metaphorically. It wasn’t an offer and you know it.”

“Well maybe it should be. If you’re so sure I’ll fail, you can move onto your next best candidate before anyone even knows my name.”

He stands there, appraising her long and hard through dark, piercing eyes, before finally returning to the chair behind the desk and lounging back languidly.

“To be blunt, Miss Jensen, I don’t believe KSO is the right fit for you. You seem… progressive, headstrong. If you are hoping to spark some kind of revolution-”

“I’m not,” she interjects.

“Then _why_?” he asks, curiosity radiating off him.  “Why work for KSO?  We have a stellar reputation, it’s true, but I’ve tried to give you a glimpse of the culture you would be subjected to and I highly doubt you’ve found it all that palatable so far.  You are clearly an intelligent woman, I have no doubt plenty of leading law firms would be interested in acquiring you.  So _why_? Why must it be this one?”

“It’s the best,” she says, parroting her answer from earlier. It’s not as though she’s _completely lying_ ; it _is_ considered one of the best - that just isn’t her motivator.

He arches a brow at her skeptically, but she juts out her chin and stares back defiantly until he sighs.

“Even if I sought to indulge you – which I would be crazy to do, by the way – the fact of the matter remains.  The type of people that engage my firm don’t want to be represented by an Omega in the courtroom. They'd be more than happy for you to bring them coffee or rub their shoulders, but they'll want the Alphas to handle the real work.”

“They don’t need to know I’m not an Alpha.”

He gives her another doubtful look.

“Miss Jensen, you may have had me fooled for a moment, but all it took was coming within a few feet of you to pick up your real scent. You would be discovered in no time.”

“That’s not true,” she retorts, “I’ve fooled people for years – Alphas, Omegas and Betas alike. No one has ever figured it out.  They can’t smell me.  You are the first to…” she trails off, remembering the way he looked when he picked up on her true scent, the spike in his, the flash in his eyes.  “Well, it’s never happened before.  Alpha commands don’t work on me either.  I can prove it to you, with one of those morons out there.” She jerks her head behind her towards the waiting room filled with his other candidates.  “Your clients would never know.”

He rubs at his clean shaven jaw between his fingers and thumb and she feels like she’s being X-rayed, his eyes drinking her in thirstily, until suddenly his other hand jerks out to smash a button on the desk phone in front of him.

“Maz,” he says over the intercom, “send one of the other candidates in here.”

Rey gulps.

A moment later, a young man around her own age walks in, tall and broad, with straw blonde hair and pale blue eyes.

“What's your name?” Mr Solo – _Ben_ – asks the man.

“Chip Morrison, Sir.”

He seems a little dim. Probably played football in college, Rey thinks. Alphas normally do – their competitive nature and athletic build making them well suited for sports.  Maybe he should have stuck with that.

“Okay, Chip. Go over to Miss Jensen and tell me what she smells like.”

“What she… What?” the boy blanches, and Rey feels a sliver of esteem for him that he doesn’t just jump at the chance.

“Her designation. Tell me what designation she smells like,” Ben reiterates, his eyes moving back to Rey.  “Go on, take a sniff.”

Chip steps forward and Rey feels her sliver of respect evaporate as he does so. She tries not to tense as he gets closer, it’s a natural reaction that she has trained her body to resist, but in times of pressure it becomes harder to ignore those biological ticks that come so instinctually.

By the time he is within a foot of her and inhaling deeply, she can smell him too, that standard Alpha scent, but barely, because even now, the scent of the man at the desk is what dominates.

“She’s an Alpha, Sir.”

Rey sighs inwardly and gives Ben a pointed look, which he returns with narrowed eyes, sitting up straighter in his chair.

“Are you sure?”

He gives her another sniff.

“Yes, that's what she smells like, Sir,” Chip replies, looking thoroughly confused.

Ben’s jaw clenches and he sits thinking for a minute, before starting again.

“Stand over the other side of the room,” he instructs Chip, standing up himself and heading back around to the other side of the desk to better inspect the proceedings. “Okay, now I want you to ask Miss Jensen to take a step towards you.”

“You...”

“Do as I say,” Ben orders impatiently, and Chip bobs his head erratically in what Rey assumes is supposed to be a nod.

“Miss Jensen, can you please walk towards me?”

Rey rolls her eyes and stands firmly in place.

“Okay,” Ben continues unperturbed, “now _tell_ Miss Jensen to take a step towards you.”

“Take a step towards me, Miss Jensen.”

Nothing happens. _Obviously_.  Rey taps her foot impatiently.

“Chip, use your Alpha command.”

Chip spins around to gawk at him.

“But Mr Solo, I don’t know if that’s-”

“Do it!” Ben bellows at him.

“Walk towards me, _now_ ,” Chip commands, and Rey can hear it, the Alpha push, but they never work on her – never have, not once – and so it breezes past her like the wind while she stays put and shoots Ben the filthiest look she can muster.

“Sorry, I tried to tell you, but your little non-consensual parlour trick doesn't work on me.”

She’s sure she sees the corner of Ben’s mouth twitch upward.

“Get out, Chippy,” he says and Chip hurriedly exits the room looking relieved, leaving them alone again.

Ben eyes her curiously for a long minute with his head cocked to the side, like she is some complicated mathematical equation he just can’t get to add up.

Then he saunters over until he is less than a foot away, towering over her with that preposterous Alpha height of his.

“Unbutton your blouse.”

She looks up at him, shocked.

“ _What_?”

He rolls his eyes and lazily repeats the instruction.

“ _No_!” She shouts back at him, her hands balling up into fists.

“ _Unbutton your blouse_ ,” he says for a third time, but this time it is a command with a strong Alpha push, as much as he can muster, and this time…

 _Her body obeys_.

Rey’s hands shoot to the top button of her blouse at their own volition, spurred on by a voice, a voice in her head that chants - _the Alpha wants this, the big, strong Alpha, he wants this, he wants you_.

The voice fades away and she stops dead in her tracks, her fingers circling around the little button, before she gapes up at him with wide eyes. She wishes she didn’t, because the victory that is splashed across his face is too much to bear.

“Careful, Sweetheart,” he smirks, leaning down to hum in her ear. “Your Omega is showing.”

The combination of it all – the shock, the uncertainty, the triumphantly arrogant look on his stupid, _stupid_ face – it all comes together to plunge her into a black pit of fury. 

It’s a moment of rage, but it takes hold of her so fast she can barely process it before her body reacts and she slaps him, _hard_ , across his face, effectively removing his shit-eating grin. 

Her palm stings from the contact and his cheek blooms with a revealing red handprint, her handprint.

And a moment later, the anger dwindles and she realises with a sinking feeling in her gut that she’s just lost her last chance at being the newest associate at KSO.

***

He deserved that. He knows he did.

The skin on his face burns where she smacked him, but in reality, he is angrier at himself for letting this escalate so far.

What the fuck was he thinking, dragging this out and entertaining his curiosity like this? He had been sucked into it like a strange experiment, wanting to better understand this unusual phenomenon he was witness to, and perhaps desperate to prolong his time with this girl - this unexpected, remarkable girl - despite his better judgement that told him nothing good could come from it.

It's just… the idea that she is some well-kept, unexplored secret that no one knows about but him- it’s intriguing.  Chip - while undoubtedly as dull as the other plebs outside - is still all Alpha, he can tell that much. And yet the kid couldn't smell her, couldn’t command her.

Only he could- Ben.

The man in him is curious, mystified, bewildered, but the Alpha in him...

The Alpha _purrs_.

She is breathing hard in front of him, and he can’t help but find her magnificent in her rage, truly something to behold.

But he has rattled her, he can see it in her face, in the way she pulls the top of her blouse together, past where the top button ends - the one she nearly just unfastened at his direction - and he knows he has gone too far.

She had invited him to test her claim. It still doesn’t sit well in his chest.

And he had called her _Sweetheart_ \- what the hell was that about?  He never uses that word.  Too many memories.

He watches the rage drain from her face, replaced with regret maybe, and he wonders if _she_ is going to apologise to _him_.  He finds he doesn’t want her to.  He’d rather she hit him again.  He would deserve that too.

He needn’t have worried, because she doesn’t apologise. Instead she asks, somewhat breathlessly yet accusingly at the same time, “Are you on enhancers?”

The question makes him blink.

He knows lawyers at the firm that are on enhancers. The ones desperate to make themselves out to be bigger and better than they actually are.

Ben has never touched the stuff.

“I don’t need enhancers.  I can prove my point without them.”

He sees her rubbing her palm, the palm that connected with his face just a moment ago.

It must hurt; he’s been told he has a hard head.

“I don’t understand,” she mutters, her brow furrowed as she shakes her head. “That shouldn’t have happened, not with the level of suppressants I'm on. My old boss – he was an Alpha – and he tried his hardest, _trust me_.  And it would have been bad, _very bad_ , if it had ever… But, thankfully, it didn’t, it never worked.”

He swallows the bile that rises in his throat at the thought of her old boss ‘ _trying his hardest’_.

Still, he can’t deny the truth of the situation.

“I hate to tell you, but it worked just now.”

“No it didn't,” she argues, “I didn't undo the button.”

“Maybe not, but you showed your weakness regardless.”

She crosses her arms, but he sees hurt flicker in her eyes, and seeing her so vulnerable for the first time causes another painful pang in his chest.

He knows he is making himself seem more callous that he really is. He is laying it on thick - the whole _heartless bastard_ image.

The thing is, he doesn’t want to do this to her, destroy all her hope like that, not when she bounced in here so full of light and life, so bright, so beautiful.

But he _needs_ her to get the message. Better he scare her off now than let her stumble naively into the wolves den. The things he has said and done today are no worse than what he hears and sees at the KSO watercooler on a daily basis.

So why then, _why_ is she not getting it? She’s a stubborn little thing, he’ll give her that, pushing resolutely forward through every obstacle he has thrown at her, and he just doesn’t know how to make her understand the message he is trying his hardest to give her-

 _Don’t do this to yourself; you deserve better than this_.

Also not helping the situation is the quiet yet distinctly annoying little voice that has suddenly popped into his head and is whispering – _look after her, the sweet Omega, the beautiful Omega,_ _she must be_ _protected_ – ad nauseam until he can’t think straight.

She needs to go. As he has already established, nothing good can come from this.

“You haven’t convinced me, Miss Jensen, but I appreciate your efforts.  Thank you once again for your time.”

“So that's it?” she counters. “You're just going to give the job to some Alpha jock with a name like Chad or Chuck or Chase, who went to the same school as you and has a Daddy with a mansion by the beach that he borrows on Sundays to impress all the Omega girls he picks up on the way home from his drammers club?”

He schools his face to remain impassive despite the thoroughly unappealing prospect.

“Sure, why not?”

“I’m smarter than any of those Alpha morons out there, and just as stubborn.”

“No doubt the stubborn part is true,” he quips.

Suddenly, she seems to quell her frustrations and instead leans back languidly and gives him a knowing look.

“Ah, I get it. You’re _intimidated_ by me.”

Ben shakes his head.

“You’re grasping at straws, Miss Jensen.”

“I don’t think so. It’s okay, I understand.  I mean, it would be pretty embarrassing, hiring a female Omega that can run rings around you and your fellow Alpha buddies.”

He sighs, arching his brow at her.

“Do you really think this inferior attempt to manipulate me is going to work?”

But she pushes on relentlessly.

“They won't challenge you, they won't keep you on your toes and they won't make you a better lawyer. But if you are happy being a big fish in a small pond, that's fine, I get it - surround yourself with imbeciles to make yourself feel smarter. Or, you can forget the Alpha stooges and go with the smart choice.”

“I wouldn't call you the smart choice,” Ben replies, but he struggles to bite back a smile.

“No? Then what am I?”

“The _dangerous_ choice.”

Now she’s the one smiling.

“So you _are_ afraid,” she challenges.

He shrugs.

“I’m just being realistic. You certainly wouldn't be the easy option.”

“You don’t strike me as a guy that likes it easy.”

Oh, she’s _good_.

And yeah, maybe he can’t quite hide the grin splitting his face anymore. It was a futile endeavour anyway, in fact, he is beginning to think this whole attempt at deterring her was a futile endeavour.

She is a force of nature, not willing to take no for an answer. Why she wants this so bad, he would love to know, but he can at least be content that he has done his best to dissuade her. In that respect at least, his conscience is clear.

And with that realisation, the impulsive, reckless side of his personality that he does his best to curb at all times comes hurtling to the surface.

_To hell with it, then._

“Okay, Miss Jensen, I'll tell you what - I'll give you a trial run.  Our probation period is three months. Let's see how you go.” Her face beams with poorly restrained excitement, and he feels it incumbent on him to test her one last time. “My bet is you find a knot you like and end up wifed up, barefoot and pregnant before the end of month one.”

“That is _never_ going to happen,” she grins back at him, confident and determined, oozing with quiet victory and completely unfazed by his flippant comment.

Maybe she would survive KSO after all.

He tilts his head to the side, his eyes dancing as he studies Rey Jensen, the little Omega that has stormed into his life and thrown him for a loop.

“We'll see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Ben….. what are you doing?
> 
> In case you haven't noticed, there may be a mystery or two surrounding our young Rey... And whilst KSO and its horrendous employees should probably be reported to some government body, there may be a mystery or two there as well.
> 
> I promise, more will be divulged in the upcoming chapters.
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping will happen next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	3. Running with Insanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey discuss terms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An ENORMOUS thanks once again for all the amazing feedback I’ve received regarding this fic! I am so thrilled you guys seem as excited about this one as I am!  I’ve already plotted out the first 15 chapters which would take us just over half way through the story… so this might be a long one folks!
> 
> I wasn’t planning on updating this story for another week, but all your kind words spurred me on and got me moving! This chapter is a bit of a bridging chapter, but adds some extra context.
> 
> Speaking of context, I just wanted to give a little extra commentary on a few things:
> 
>   1. Yes, Ben has been acting like a Class A jerk so far, but you may find that while he talks a big game, he might be a little less cool with witnessing any disgusting behaviour if it is pointed towards a _certain someone_ … I imagine it to be a little like in cannon – where Ben is part of the First Order, and while he doesn't necessarily sharing in their beliefs, he's also not doing a whole lot to stop them. But as I said, this may change with the right motivation.
>   2. There is no doubt KSO has a _terrible_ culture. Sadly companies like this do exist, even in the real world. In this little alternate universe, I also have the head-cannon that designation discrimination is treated with more laxity than say race or gender discrimination, so sadly workplace cultures like the one at KSO aren't uncommon in Rey’s world. Given the difference in societal norms, I would assume Rey has experienced her fair share of indecorous behaviour long before meeting Ben Solo.  However, while I won’t be delving much into society as a whole in my story, hopefully some parts of Rey’s world will change as our story progresses.
> 

> 
> This chapter is named after a song by Alcoholic Faith Mission.
> 
> Gee, my writers notes are always so long… Let’s get into it, shall we?

Rey cannot believe it. She truly can’t believe her luck.

She watches her new boss, Ben Solo, as he emails the firm, telling them he has found their newest associate, and does her best not to do a happy dance around the room.

It’s just… yeah, she’s a little stunned if she’s being honest.

For all her efforts to appear confident, in reality she had thought she was _done_.  Truly, after the slap, she couldn’t see any way of coming back.

And yet, somehow, he hadn’t even seemed fazed by it.

Ben types away on his laptop, the keys clicking noisily as he goes, and Rey watches him, a question threatening to escape through her lips, because what she really wants to know, is _why_. Why was he finally persuaded? 

She had tried everything, every angle she could think of, and just when she was about to give up, he had caved and given her a shot.

So what had changed his mind? She feels like asking would be tempting fate, but still, curiosity burns like a buzzsaw in her chest.

Despite what she said earlier, she doesn’t truly believe he is intimidated by her. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who could be intimidated by _anyone_.

He also doesn’t seem susceptible to manipulation even in its finest form, let alone her crude attempts at reverse psychology. She’s not particularly proud of it, it wasn’t her finest moment, but she’d been desperate, it had been a Hail Mary pass of sorts.  She hadn’t dared to believe it would actually work.

But it _had_.

Or had it?

A part of her, the part that has already seen all manner of atrocious human conduct in her short life so far - conduct that has made her worldly and wary - suspects that his true motives may be less than pure. That part of her is of course spurred on by his behaviour throughout her interview. 

It’s hardly new to her – the shitty way Omegas are treated, like they are lesser somehow, like they don’t deserve the same level of respect that the other designations do. It grates at her, like it always does, but it’s nothing she hasn’t seen or experienced before.

She has come to accept that some people are just assholes with misguided views on the world. She should be able to chalk it up to another case of supreme Alpha egotism and move on.

Except it’s not that simple, is it.

Because one minute he is bandying disgusting insults around like one of those right-winged Alpha dickheads on late night television, and then the next he is praising her intellect and insinuating she would be a prize for any law firm and gazing at her with a glint in his eye that makes her feel important and valuable and _powerful_.

For her part, she just can’t figure him out.  

The one thing she’s sure of is that she can’t trust him as far as she can throw him – which, given his ridiculous size, would definitely not be far.

The smart thing to do is to stay cautious.

Thus, cautiously she will tread.

“So,” Ben says finally as he snaps his laptop shut and looks up at her, “I think we should discuss the terms of your contract over lunch.”

 _Terms_ …

Terms as in…

Alarms bells blare in Rey’s head.

And then there is the other thing, because the idea of going somewhere with him, to eat together, right now…

Yeah, she’s not so sure. Not sure _at all_.

“I don’t know if that’s necessary.”

“I beg to differ,” he rebuts with a flourish of his hand. “This… _situation_ , must be handled delicately.  The stakes are high for both of us.  If we are to pull this off, we need to establish some ground rules and get our ducks in a row, so to speak.”

“I meant the lunch part,” she deadpans, crossing her arms in front of her.

Much to her annoyance, Rey’s stomach rumbles as if on cue. Money has been tight lately, and she has been living off instant noodles for lunch and dinner, only splurging on the occasional pizza when she gets desperate. Which means, she hasn’t eaten since last night.

So lunch actually sounds fantastic, except for the gnawing fact that Rey can’t shake the feeling that going to lunch with this man sounds oddly… intimate.

“Ah,” he smiles, “I’m afraid that detail is essential. I’ve been stuck in this room for hours on end and I am famished.”

Rey doubts he’s ever known true hunger. She doesn’t say as much though, and instead just continues to eye him suspiciously.

All his talk from earlier - of Omegas fucking in bathrooms and offering oral favours around the office - has her on edge. Because she still doesn’t know his real motive for going along with this, and he doesn’t seem like someone who does anything selflessly.

This could be exactly what he is after, what he might expect - sexual favours in return for the job offer.

He is in for a big reality check if that’s the case, though, because Rey might be willing to do _nearly anything_ to get into KSO, but she certainly won’t be doing _that_.

He must somehow pick up on her train of thought, because then he sighs and says, “You don’t need to worry. I don’t do relationships – of any kind – in the workplace, and I certainly don’t resort to blackmail or bribery.”

“What happened to getting sucked off under your desk?” she retorts, and the image of him lounging back in a desk chair moaning in ecstasy comes unbidden to her mind in such vivid detail that she wishes she never said anything in the first place.

“I was referring to KSO employees in general; not myself.”

She eyes him skeptically for another moment, before relaxing.

He doesn’t seem like the type to lie; if anything he has been brutally honest so far. And if he is ever stupid enough to try anything with her… well, she can handle him.

She’s dealt with much worse than the likes of him.

“Okay, Boss. Where to?”

***

They settle on an eatery widely reputed for having the best Porterhouse in the city, but only once Ben assures Rey the company will be footing the bill. It’s a cosy little joint, nestled down a side alley a block from Senate Plaza, and Rey immediately likes the place, with its warm lighting, jazzy music and generous servings.

He orders their famous steak, and so does she, because she’s not about to pass up an opportunity to eat real meat, especially expensive meat she could never, _ever_ afford herself.  It comes with mash and a green salad, and she eagerly shovels spoonfuls of potatoey goodness into her mouth while ignoring the disgusted looks _a certain someone_ is shooting her from across the table.

“It’s really good,” she mumbles with her mouth full and ducks her head to avoid his judging eyes.

“One would think you hadn’t eaten for months,” he frowns, still primly cutting his steak into small strips with his knife and fork.

She doesn’t reply. She’s sure he would have nothing nice to say about her questionable diet.

He doesn’t press her, instead turning his attention back to the task at hand.

“I’m sure it goes without saying at this point, but obviously the most important factor to you retaining your role at KSO is that no one learns you are an Omega. It is essential that this secret remains between us, and us alone.  If anyone else finds out, there will be little I can do to save your job.”

“What guarantee do I have that you won’t give it away yourself?”

“Do you really think I’m stupid enough to go around telling people I knowingly hired an Omega?”

“Well, I don’t know how stupid you are,” she mutters darkly.

“Watch yourself, Miss Jensen,” he warns. “Now, are we in agreement or not?”

“Yes,” she mumbles reluctantly, stabbing at the greenery on her plate with her fork.

“I report directly to the Managing Partner, James Snoke. He is the one that devised the Alpha only rule.  What are we to do if he smells you?”

“He won’t.”

“He might.”

“I’ve already told you, no one can pick up my scent.”

“ _I_ picked up your scent.”

Rey rolls her eyes.

“Fine, _if_ Snoke can smell I’m an Omega – _which he won’t_ – you can just pretend you didn’t know.  I won’t rat you out. I’ll go quietly and I won’t make a fuss.”

He nods and takes a sip of his Merlot. She does the same with her lemonade, the sweet bubbles popping on her tongue.

“How long do your heats normally last?”

Rey nearly sprays the fizzy liquid all over the table.

“Excuse me?” she splutters.

He gives her a pointed look.

“I asked you how long your heats generally last.”

“I don’t see how that is a work related question,” she says shortly, glaring at him.

He cocks his head to the side, his gaze unrelenting.

“I'm not trying to be rude, but you have to understand - if you go into heat in the middle of the office, not only are we both _royally fucked,_ but you could also be in danger.  As I’ve repeatedly said, KSO is crawling with Alphas and you aren’t exactly going to be eligible for heat leave, so we have to come up with some other way of getting around your heats.”

She grits her teeth but nods at his logic.

“How often do they occur?” he asks.

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had a heat.”

“You’ve never had a heat,” he repeats monotonously.

She folds her arms across her chest and nods again as his eyes narrow.

“What kind of Omega doesn’t have heats?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she replies with a sweet, if not entirely sincere smile, “maybe the kind that doesn’t suck cock under desks or get knotted in bathrooms.”

He leans back in his chair, appraising her with that ever-curious gaze of his.

“How did you present?”

“That’s none of your business.”

His jaw works hard, flexing visibly under the clean-shaven skin.

“How can you be sure you won’t have a heat?”

“Because I won’t. I never have.”

“Before today, you’d never been outed as an Omega by your scent or given in to an Alpha command,” he points out.

She purses her lips in annoyance. She doesn’t need this kind of cynicism in her life.

He drums his fingers on the table at her prolonged silence.

“Look Miss Jensen, I can’t have you unexpectedly going into heat and driving every other lawyer at our firm into rut.”

“Fine,” she huffs, pushing back from the table to cross her arms over her chest. “If you must know, I’m medically incapable of having heats. My doctor has attributed it to a combination of a history of malnutrition throughout childhood and the high levels of suppressants I take.”

She feels her cheeks burn and waits for some kind of gross, inappropriate comment from him, but when she finally looks up, what she finds is much, much worse.

Because there in his dark brown eyes, she sees… unease. Or what she thinks is unease, until with a jolt she realises what she actually sees, is sympathy.

 _Sympathy_.  From _him_?

Oh, she doesn’t like that. Not one bit.

“I don’t want your pity,” she tells him sternly, her lips curling.

The tenderness in his eyes dies almost immediately, and instead they flash with irritation.

“Good, because you don’t have it.”

“Great!” she shouts back.

“Kriff,” he swears, his cutlery clattering as he drops it on his plate, before muttering, “the only person I pity right now is _myself_ for agreeing to this madness in the first place. I must be having a psychotic break or something.”

They sit in silence, glaring at one another as a waitress comes to clear their plates. She tops up their water glasses and his wine glass while she’s there and Rey watches as she pulls out a little comb and starts brushing the crumbs off the tablecloth.

At the restaurants Rey frequents – _very infrequently_ – you can usually draw on the table.

“Well,” she ventures once they are alone again, “I’ll have you know it's a good thing – not having heats. I'm sure - you being you - that you've been a willing participant in plenty of heats, but while the Alpha helping out might have a great time, it is widely known they can be pretty awful for the Omega. I count myself lucky not to have to worry about them.”

“Actually, I don’t do heats.”

She blinks at him.

“What?”

“I don’t do heats,” he repeats languidly, those dark eyes of his suddenly gleaming. “You implied that I did, but actually they don’t interest me.  I thought I should correct you.”

“I- I didn’t mean…” she coughs, her cheeks threatening to bloom pink again, except her interest is suddenly piqued because a minute ago she would have bet the entirety of the savings in her bank account that this man, Ben Solo, would engage in heat sex on an unhealthily regular basis.

And maybe that’s the reason she can’t help but prod further.

“Wait, I thought heat sex was a kink for Alphas,” she blurts out, and then she does blush, because now _she’s_ the one being inappropriate and she should really, _really_ stop talking.

“Are you the only person around here that can be more than their biology, Miss Jensen?” he asks her, a sly little smile playing at his lips.

“No, of course not.”

She looks away again, biting her lip and mentally kicking herself for giving him the opportunity to gain the moral high ground.

Thankfully, the waitress comes back to take their post meal drink order. He orders a long black, while she requests a chai latte because that’s the closest she’ll ever get to coffee – she has always been more of a tea lover.

She can’t help noticing that their waitress has been flashing her new boss smiles throughout their meal, smiles that never seem to be earned by her or any other patron in the place. She’s an attractive girl, for sure - a Beta from the smell of her, with long limbs and exotic features and silky olive skin.

When she finally walks away with their order, sashaying her hips as she goes, Rey expects him to look, to ogle. After all, every other male in the room seems to be doing so.

He doesn’t, though.

She wonders if he would if _she_ wasn’t there. 

She thinks he might.

It… bothers her.

“You’ll need to buy yourself a nice pair of stilettos.”

She yanks herself out of her own senseless thoughts and stares at him blankly.

“Excuse me?”

“Female Alphas are nearly always tall.  Tall and solid.  You're built like a slender pixie; you couldn't look any more Omega if you tried.” His dark, piercing eyes roam over her, as if to validate his own point.  “You are going to need to wear heels. Very high heels. And perhaps some shoulder pads.”

“But I don’t like wearing heels,” she interjects. “They hurt my feet and there are plenty of studies on how much stress they cause to the spine.”

“Well, you might just need to suck it up, little Omega,” he drawls, a smile dangling from the corner of his lips, and unfortunately for her he doesn’t look the least bit sympathetic now.

Their coffees come and he pays for their meal at the table with his black credit card as she sullenly licks the froth off her spoon. Luckily the sugary cinnamon liquid sooths some of her irritation.

When he’s done he sips his own coffee - also black, like his soul no doubt.

 “I think we’ve gone over most of the potential risk areas,” he says, slipping a piece of paper – probably the receipt – into his wallet.  “If I think of any other conditions, I will let you know.  Is there anything else you want to discuss?”

“Yes, actually,” she replies. “Ben-”

“You can address me as Sir or Mister Solo.”

“Hmm, see, I prefer Ben,” she shrugs, smiling sweetly. “So, Ben,” she continues resolutely, ignoring his aggravated little huff, “I have a condition too.”

He eyes her distrustfully.

“And what might that be?”

“You can't use your Alpha command on me.”

He juts out his chin, peering down the bridge of his nose at her.

“I thought it didn't work on you anyway,” he challenges.

“It doesn't, normally…”

“So then why-”

“It is inappropriate behaviour for the workplace.  If you want people to believe I’m an Alpha, you need to treat me like one too.”

“That seems fair,” he concedes with a smile, rising from his chair and straightening his tie. “For the record, I wasn’t planning on using it again.”

“Well… _good_.”

She stands as well, and before long they find themselves back outside on the chilly street.

“So you’ll start a week from Monday,” he tells her as a cab pulls up. “Anything else to add?”

“Yeah, just one last thing; if you are expecting me to buy new clothes and shoes, I want a signing bonus. A big one.”

He’s grinning now, truly grinning, and she watches in amazement as smile lines form on his cheeks.

“Well done, little Omega,” Ben hums in her ear as he leans over to open the car door for her. “We may make an Alpha out of you yet.”

She gets another strong whiff of him as he does so, of Alpha – that ridiculously intoxicating scent of his – and does her best to not let her eyes roll back in her head.

Before she can hop in the cab, he holds out his hand to her, much like he had earlier that day, and this time, she takes it.

The tips of his fingers come dangerously close to her wrist - the right one.

The one that is home to her mating gland.

A shiver runs down her spine.

She lets go quickly and scrambles into the back seat with haste, and when the cab drives off, she doesn’t look back.

Still, the ghost of his warm hand on hers, so tantalisingly close to her wrist, lingers long after.

***

“So, how’d it go?” Finn asks from his sprawled position on their couch as she walks through the door and dumps her bag on the kitchen counter. He is munching on a bowl of popcorn and she crashes down next to him, forcing him to shove over, and grabs a handful despite still being full from lunch.

She can’t remember the last time she actually felt full. Her usual reaction to seeing food is to eat it, so she goes with it.

“It was… _interesting_.”

“Did they figure out your dirty little secret?” he probes with a conspiratorial smirk.

“Funnily enough, they did.”

Finn’s face morphs into pure shock.

“No! How?”

“I’m not really sure,” she replies, because it’s kind of the truth and she doesn’t feel much like delving deeper into the specifics right now.

“So… so you didn’t get it.”

“Now that’s the _really_ funny part.  I actually did.”

“You’re joking!”

Rey laughs.

“I know. I thought I was a goner.”

Finn shakes his head, until it suddenly must all click for him and he sits up with a jolt.

“So, you’re in. Like, _in_ , in.”

“I suppose. I mean, it’s not ideal.  My new boss is a little sharper than I’d like, which might make things difficult going forward.  It would have been much easier if no one had known but yes, for all intents and purposes, I’m in.”

She conveniently forgets to mention to her best friend that her new boss, as well as being cluey, also smells like heaven and is built like a god.

“Rey, that’s fantastic!”

“It is,” she smiles, before her face hardens. “And now that I’m an associate at KSO, I’m closer to Snoke than ever.”

***

“Why isn't it getting hard?”

Ben screams silent curses at the ceiling and rubs at his face in frustration at her question.

Because she’s right - the waitress from the restaurant that slipped him her number, who is currently kneeling before him in a lacy black bra and panties and has her hand wrapped around his cock.

_His not-even-slightly-hard cock._

It’s not like he had planned this little tryst. She was certainly striking – the waitress – there was no doubting it, but he had ignored her _not so subtle_ flirting throughout lunch.  After all, it was an unprofessional thing to do during a work meeting, and he _never_ mixed business with pleasure.

He had seen the phone number she’d scribbled on the back of his bill, but hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. No, he had headed back to the office after his lunch with Rey Jensen to catch up on work, and the many urgent things that had popped up during his morning out provided plenty to occupy his afternoon and evening. 

A good thing, since he had desperately needed a distraction.

His whole encounter with the secret Omega had left him… unsettled, to say the least.

She was beautiful, there was no doubting it. Brilliant too – quick witted, strong, determined.  And yet to all of that, there was a vulnerability that peeked through in rare moments where she could no longer hide it.

She clearly had a difficult upbringing – that much was obvious from her comments regarding her medical history, not to mention the vague reference to her former boss. And yet she carried herself with such ferocity, such resilience.

Throughout the day, he had found himself aroused by her one minute and perplexed by her the next.

It’s a conundrum; much like _her_.

One thing remained a constant – he was _fascinated_ by her.

Hiring her would keep her near, but also made her off limits. That in itself both pleased and frustrated him at the same time.

Then there was the imminent threat of their little ruse being discovered. He was going to have a hard enough time selling her to Snoke as an Alpha, let alone if her true designation was discovered.  Like all impulsive decisions, once the heat of the moment was over, he was left to ponder his decision and question whether he had indeed lapsed into insanity.

And so as he poured over briefs and responded to emails, his mind turned over and over, flitting from one emotion to the next – _curiosity, confusion,_ _desire, frustration, concern, trepidation_ – until his head ached.

When ten o’clock came and went - the commentary in his head showing no signs of abating - he thought of the empty apartment waiting for him and… well… suddenly the prospect of another, very different distraction became quite appealing.

Which is how he had ended up here, in the waitress’s loft, pants down and helpless to do anything but watch as she unsuccessfully tries to make him hard.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, _fuck_.

Shit like this doesn’t happen to him. He doesn’t have… _performance issues_. 

The very idea makes him shudder.

But tonight, he just can’t get his head in the game. Even though he has licked the stunning waitress to an earsplitting orgasm just minutes before, his nose is still filled with something else, or rather, _someone else_ – a pretty, clever, stubborn Omega, to be precise - and he is increasingly growing to resent the fact that he isn’t like every other person on the planet that simply can’t smell her.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, screwing his eyes shut tightly. “It’s not you. It’s just… been a long day.  I shouldn’t have come.”

“Okay…” the waitress replies with a huff, pulling awkwardly at the strap on her bra for something to do.

He heaves himself off her couch, silently zipping up his pants and buckling his belt before heading for the door.

“I won’t be seeing you again, will I?” she asks, a little flatly.

“I doubt it.”

He doesn’t see any point in lying about it.

As he opens the door, he pauses to give her one last look.

“I wouldn’t worry. You deserve better anyway.”

Another truth.

At least he’s an honest asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, rules have been established; lines have been drawn.
> 
> Coming up next – Rey’s first day… I’m very excited for this one – it may end up being two chapters because I have a lot planned, but I’ll see how I go!
> 
> Also, for the record, there might be a few other “stereotypically Alpha things” that Ben doesn’t normally do. More on that to come…
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping will happen next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	4. Gold on the Ceiling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey’s first day at KSO - Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just quickly, thank you all SO MUCH for your amazing feedback and support as always!
> 
> This story looks to be getting longer and longer, but I’m terrified to increase the chapter count any further at this stage, so for now it’s staying at 25 chapters…. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
> 
> The amazing [@reylocalligraphy ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy/pseuds/reylocalligraphy)made me the most unbelievably beautiful moodboard for this fic – she is incredibly talented, she writes on [AO3 ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy/pseuds/reylocalligraphy)and makes gorgeous artwork on [Tumblr](https://reylocalligraphy.tumblr.com/), so do go check her out if you haven’t already!
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by The Black Keys (great song btw).
> 
> And now, onto the story…

Rey’s first day comes around in the blink of an eye, and before she knows it, she finds herself in a mirrored elevator that opens to the Kenobi-Snoke-Organa reception area.

She’s all dressed up, in her new charcoal pant suit and heels - she hadn’t dared to go higher than three inches - and even so she feels ridiculous, like an elephant on stilts. Despite her updated attire, she still feels extremely out of place amidst the sleek, sharp architecture of the room. 

Apparently KSO has no problem giving off the appearance of modernity, even if it is actually archaic in practice.

From one look, she can tell that black, red and gold are the company colours. While most of the interior walls and furniture reflect muted, neutral tones, those three colours have been used as accents all over the place.

The most eye-catching piece in the room is the huge, golden chandelier that looks more like a light installation one might find in a modern museum.

She knows this place is meant to be equal parts impressive and intimidating, but even so Rey can’t help but feel a little dumbstruck as she stares at the gold lettering of the name partners on the entrance wall. She might need to pinch herself, just to make sure she is really here, after so long. 

All those sleepless nights, nights spent studying and working two jobs so she could put herself through law school and not starve to death at the same time, it had all been for this – some far off, long awaited, potentially doomed pipedream in which all the odds were stacked against her. And yet…

_Here she is._

It’s a big moment.

It’s clearly _not_ a big moment for anyone else in the place, which is made abundantly clear to her when she is nearly knocked to the ground by two businessmen with briefcases who shove past her impatiently as they exit one of the elevators.  They are followed by a teenage boy pushing a trolley full of mail, who requests - not very politely - that she move out of the elevator landing area.

She does so as quickly as her new heels will allow – _which isn’t very quickly at all_ \- and then mentally kicks herself.  The speedy submission to rude demands issued by mail-boys would hardly be considered _Alpha behaviour_. 

She needs to be careful – she is going to have plenty of eyes on her here, her new boss’s for one, and they are going to be scrutinising her every move.

Pulling herself together and straightening her jacket, she makes her way further into the room. A pretty blonde sits behind the front desk, donning a metallic silver headset that fits perfectly around her neat chignon. 

Rey idly wonders if she is one of the Omegas Ben had mentioned - one of the ones that gets knotted in bathrooms – and then scolds herself for the second time that morning. She really shouldn’t indulge his rudeness by believing or speculating on a stereotype, and even if it is true, it’s none of _her_ business what people get up to in their spare time.

She steps up to the desk and waits quietly for the receptionist to notice her. When she finally does, Rey can’t help but register the slight arching of one perfectly filled-in eyebrow.

“Welcome to Kenobi-Snoke-Organa. How may I help you today?”

Rey plasters a smile to her face and does her best not to shrink under the _oh so subtle,_ yet _oh so obvious_ scrutiny.  If she can’t even impress the receptionist, she’s not off to a great start.

“Good morning. My name is Rey Jensen, I’m here to see Ben Solo.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I-”

“I’m sorry,” the young woman interrupts curtly, not sounding sorry at all, “Mr Solo does not see anyone unless they have an appointment.”

Okay, she knows that it’s normal to be nervous on your first day, but seriously, if she doesn’t start getting her act together soon, she’s going to be kicked out before she even makes it through the door.

Rey straightens herself to her full height, mustering as much confidence as she can.

“Actually, I’m his new associate. Today’s my first day so I’m not sure where to go.”

“ _You're_ Ren’s new associate?” 

The question doesn’t come from the receptionist, but from a red headed man standing behind her, dressed in a slim cut black suit that could probably feed some overseas village for a year. He eyes her with an incredulous look on his pale face, and sure enough, Rey has to do her best once again to shirk her natural instinct to cower. 

Being an Omega really does suck sometimes.

“Ah… I am,” Rey replies, frustrated that it sounds more like a question than a statement. It’s just… did he say _Ben_ or _Ren_?

“But you're so... effeminate.”

Rey feels her mouth drop open.

If the staff’s first reaction to seeing a female lawyer is to assume she is actually a cross-dressing male, maybe this place really is as bad as Ben had insinuated in her interview.

“I am not ‘ _effeminate’_ ,” Rey retorts hotly, no longer able to maintain her polite smile, “I’m a _woman_.”

Somehow, the idea that she is a woman has him looking even more outraged than when he had taken her for a man in three-inch heels.

“Impossible! There must be some kind of mistake,” the man blusters, and Rey is getting so fed up by this insanity that she’s just about ready to sock him one, when their little exchange is interrupted by a new, yet familiar, deep voice.

“Don’t mind Hux,” Ben says, coming up behind them. “His mother didn’t hug him enough as a child.”

Somewhere in the back of Rey’s mind she wonders if she had forgotten how _tall_ he was.  It doesn’t seem likely, because in the one or two bizarre dreams he had featured in over the past week he always looked massive. But now that he’s standing before her once more - in a dark, woollen suit that seems to be perfectly sculpted to his muscular body - she can’t help but feel dwarfed in a way that both delights the Omega in her and infuriates the sane, rational woman that makes up the rest of her.

_Maybe she should have gone with the six inch heels after all…_

Still, she can’t help but feel relieved to see him. At least he can help straighten all this out.  Not that she needs his help to do anything, mind...

“Ren,” the angry man apparently called Hux barks at her boss, “this… _girl,_ seems to think she’s your new associate.”

He had settled on the word ‘girl’, but Rey gets the feeling he would have rather used a word like ‘thing’ or ‘tramp’ or ‘travesty’.

“That seems like a perfectly logical thing for my new associate to think,” Ben says in response.

Hux’s eyes widen slightly, the patches of pink on his cheeks blotching further to a deep crimson, but Ben doesn’t wait for him to reply. Instead he turns to Rey with a small smile playing on those full lips of his.

“Miss Jensen,” he nods at her in greeting, before indicating that she follow him with a slight jerk of his head.

She has trouble keeping up with his long strides as he walks swiftly down the hallway – _stupid, stupid heels_.  Unfortunately, Hux, while not quite as tall as Ben, is certainly taller than _her_ , and is also most certainly _not_ wearing heels.  He catches up to them quickly, coming up along Ben’s side.

“Snoke sends you out to find our new premium blood and you hire _this_ little scrap of a thing? _Really_?  This one must have been the runt of the litter."

Ben doesn’t slow down or turn to acknowledge him.

“Funny, that’s what your mother always says about you.”

“ _Stop_ mentioning my mother, Ren.”

She’s still a few paces behind them, but Rey thinks she would be able to see Ben’s gigantic grin from a mile away.

“Seriously though,” Hux continues, “what are you playing at? That girl looks like a pro bono case; _not_ a KSO associate.  I feel like starting some kind of charity fund so she can buy herself some decent clothes.”

“I can hear you, you know!” Rey shouts from behind them, practically jogging to catch up to them, and when they stop suddenly outside a large, corner office surrounded on all sides by walls of crystal clear glass, she nearly goes careening into the angry redhead, thankfully pulling up just short.

“You are benevolence personified, Hux,” Ben turns to tell the other man sarcastically, ignoring Rey’s protests. “Truly, I’m sure there is some grand humanitarian award in your future.  But for now, if you don’t mind, my new associate and I have things to discuss.”

Ben pushes open the glass door to the room, holding it open so Rey can slip inside, before following her in and letting it swing shut behind them. He gives Hux a little wave through the glass, and Hux merely glares, his face as red as his hair now, before marching off in another direction.

Rey’s first thought as she looks around is that Ben’s office is just about the size of her whole apartment.

As Ben makes his way to his desk, Rey absent-mindedly sets her backpack down on a table while she gazes in awe at the rest of the room. It has been decorated simply but stylishly, and she finds she prefers this to the gaudy glamour of the KSO entryway and reception area.

It is large and spacious, with a wide, glass-topped desk and computer set up by the window, another larger table off to the side - for meetings or research work she assumes – and a black leather three-piece lounge suite in the corner, bracketed by a wide book case that is filled half with books and the other half with various sporting memorabilia.

She is jolted out of her musings by that deep, commanding voice.

“I gather you didn’t spend much of your bonus on a new wardrobe.”

She looks up to find her new boss eyeing her critically from where he is enthroned behind his desk, his dark eyes roaming over her from head to toe and back again. She turns to face him fully and claps a hand to her hip, doing her best to look as assertive as possible.

“Well, excuse me, but I had bills to pay. Keeping a roof over my head seemed more important than my appearance.”

“ _Nothing_ is more important than appearances in a place like this,” he tells her seriously, and she fights the urge to roll her eyes.

“Hey, I did what I could. For a girl that couldn’t afford to feed herself last week, five hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shoes.”

“You spent five hundred dollars on shoes?” he asks, his dark eyebrow raised sardonically.

“Yes!”

“For how many pairs?”

“Five…”

Ben looks at her with utter disdain before shaking his head.

“Even I know a decent pair of designer heels costs over a grand.”

“Well, that’s just ridiculous,” she retorts, snippily crossing her arms over her chest. Just the thought of spending a thousand dollars on one pair of shoes is enough to give her anxiety.

He leans back in his chair and licks his lips, his eyes dancing brightly as he watches her from across the room.

“So,” he starts, drumming his long fingers on the smooth, hard surface of the desk, “has anyone sniffed out your dirty little secret yet?”

“No,” she shoots back indignantly.

“Not even Hux?”

“ _No_ ,” she says again with finality.  “Who was that guy, anyway?  And why did he call you _Ren_?”

Ben grins, the muscles of his shoulders rolling back as he stretches.

“Hux is Snoke’s number two. Unfortunately for him, I’m Snoke’s number _one_ , and it’s killing him.  Ren is just an old college nickname.” He brings his other hand up to idly inspect his nail beds, before continuing.  “Don’t take Hux’s words too personally. It’s just, as my new associate, you have become the physical embodiment of his inferiority to me.”

“Great,” she mutters.

“He’s pretty harmless – Hux has always been much better at sulking and sniping than actually doing any real damage.”

Rey isn’t reassured.

“Besides,” he continues, a mischievous glint in his eye, “I’m sure - you being the passionate little spitfire you are - you won’t have any trouble handling him. It’ll give you a chance to show off your ‘ _Alpha dominance’_.  After all, if you can’t stand up to Hux, you won’t have much hope of carrying off this little… _charade_.”

Before she can send back a scathing reply, a pint-sized older woman that Rey recognises from her interview at The Supremacy comes bustling in with coffee in one hand and a stack of papers in the other.

“One tall black and the Geonosis briefs,” she says, dropping the papers onto his desk with a thud.

“Thanks, Maz,” Ben responses, taking a long sip of the steaming coffee. Maz nods before turning to Rey with a gentle smile. 

“Lovely to see you again, Miss Jensen.”

Finally – a friendly face.

Rey can’t help but smile back at Ben’s assistant.

“Oh please, call me Rey.”

Maz nods.

It’s strange, but Rey already feels a kind of kinship towards the older woman, maybe because she had kind eyes, or perhaps it was the cheeky wink she had given her before she had permitted her entry into the First Order room on the day of her interview. Either way, it makes Rey infinitely more comfortable knowing there was at least one person in this god forsaken place that she doesn’t despise.

“Bazine called,” Maz says, turning back to Ben. “Snoke wants to see you in his office.”

Ben runs a hand through his long, ebony waves.

“Looks like good news travels fast,” he mutters under his breath, before rising from his swivel chair and straightening his suit jacket. “Will you show Miss Jensen around?”

“Yes, of course.”

Ben nods to Maz in appreciation before turning back to Rey.

“Meet me back at my office around noon – we can talk more then.”

It’s an order, not a suggestion. He is her boss, so she supposes it is his right to issue orders like this.  Still, it chafes at her pride and makes her itch to disobey just to spite him.

In the end, she just nods and sends him daggers with her eyes that only seems to make him grin again.

“You Alphas,” he _tsks_ wryly as he steps past her, “always so bad at taking directions.”

She fights the compulsion to splutter insults at him as he leaves, mainly because she really doesn’t want to make a scene in front of Maz. Though, one look at the older woman tells her she might have gotten away with it, as Maz watches Ben go with pursed lips.

“That boy, honestly,” Rey hears her mutter, before she turns back to Rey and her scowl is replaced with a bright smile.

“So, now that the ego ridden men have departed and it’s just us girls, shall I show you around?”

Rey smiles and nods, liking the woman even more.

***

Maz spends over an hour taking Rey on a tour around the office.  In that time, she learns that partner offices anchor the wings, Research is on the fifth floor, Human Resources, IT and Finance can be found on the sixth, and every moment of Rey’s time working on something for a client is to be billed, even a thirty second phone call.

As they go, Rey does her best to ignore the inappropriate leering and the even more inappropriate whispered comments that she’s subjected to by various sleazy looking men dressed like gentlemen.

Maz takes her down to HR to complete her new starter paperwork and pick up her security pass. She gives her an overview of the kitchen facilities, points out the bathrooms, and shows her how to print, scan and fax.

The final stop on their journey is a room full of small cubicles, crammed together with practically no space in between. Apparently this is where the junior associates live. Maz points out her workspace, modest at best with a corner desk that takes up most of the room, with a filing cabinet underneath and a laptop docked on top.  It’s a far cry from Ben’s office, but it’s definitely a proportion she’s more familiar with.

Rey drops her backpack on the desk.

“Well, you know where to find me if you need me. Luckily, I arranged for you to have a nice neighbour.” Maz points at the cubicle next to hers, and a dark haired Haysian girl with bright brown eyes raises her head from the document she had been engrossed in.  “Rey, this is Rose Tico, one of your fellow junior associates.”

Rose instantly smiles at the introduction and pops out of her chair, offering Rey a hand over the low partition.

“So nice to meet you, Rey,” Rose says, and Rey shakes her hand firmly returning her smile.

“I’ll leave you here, but feel free to call if you need anything. Otherwise, I will see you around twelve when you need to meet Ben – my desk is right outside his office.”

Rey thanks the woman and gives her a little wave as she leaves, but she doesn’t have time to feel the loss of her one and only friend, as before Maz is even out of sight, Rose starts up.

“Rey, this is so exciting! Finally, another female Alpha to keep me company around here.  I started here three months ago and let me tell you, being surrounded by a pack of male Alphas day in and day out is not nearly as appealing as those trashy romance novels make it out to be.” 

Rose sticks her tongue out and Rey can’t help but laugh.

They chat for a while, introducing themselves and learning a little about one another. Rey discovers that Rose is an Alpha from Hays Minor whose parents worked three jobs in their little mining town so they could afford to send Rose to Coronet University, and once they bond over their mutual hatred of tax law, Rey feels like she might have made a second friend.

Rey can’t help but marvel at the other girl. Rose is even shorter than Rey, which one might reasonably assume would put her Alpha designation into question, and yet Rose’s presence is so vibrant, so forceful, so commanding, that there can be no doubt.  As they talk, Rey tries to make mental notes on her mannerisms and expressions, in the hope she can incorporate some of them into her own little performance should anyone get suspicious.

“It’s such a shame you are working for Snoke’s side of the firm,” Rose says when Rey finishes telling Rose about her awful encounter with Hux that morning. “Most of them are horrendous.  You should really have a chat to Poe - my boss.  He’s so great!  Maybe he will let you transfer to work under him with me!”

“Oh, I don’t know-”

“No truly, he has an eye for talent, so I’m sure he would snap you up in a hot minute if he could. I doubt Ben would mind; I heard in the break room this morning that it’s looking like he’ll lose his promotion for hiring a woman.”

Rey feels all the colour drain from her face.

“ _What_?”

Rose pulls out a container from her cabinet that contains chocolate pieces, and starts popping some into her mouth, chewing loudly.

“That’s what they were saying when I went in there to get coffee.”

Rey scratches the back of her neck.

“How does anyone even _know_ about me?”

Rose sets the container aside and laughs.

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're kind of big news around here, Rey.”

“ _Why_?” Rey asks, feeling more alarmed by the second.

“Well, for starters, Ben is somewhat revered in this place. His promotion hasn’t been formally announced yet, but things like that never stay under wraps for long.  It will make him the youngest senior partner in KSO history!  It’s only natural some would be curious about who he has picked as his associate.  Then there’s the fact you are the first female to be employed in Snoke’s division in, well... _forever_.  People are bound to speculate.”

Rey gulps.

She hadn’t anticipated she would have to navigate such public interest. No, it had always been her intention to keep a low profile.  It would be so much easier that way, to sneak around unseen, if no one was bothering to look.  But this… this is just another added complication.

Then there is the other thing – Ben’s punishment for hiring her.

She hasn’t thought much of it up until now, maybe because _he_ hadn’t made a big deal about it.  Other than his warnings about the consequences they would face should her designation be revealed, he had said very little on the subject. 

But judging by Hux’s face this morning, and the speed in which Ben had been called to Snoke’s office….

“Surely he wouldn’t lose his promotion just for hiring a woman?”

Rose shrugs.

“Wouldn't surprise me.  What _does_ surprise me is that he would risk it in the first place.” 

She looks up at Rey thoughtfully and Rey grinds her teeth, trying her best to ignore the gnawing feeling in her belly that feels a lot like guilt.

That would just be silly – she shouldn’t feel guilty that an _entitled_ _ass_ might miss out on some record breaking promotion because he chose to do the right thing and hire the best person for the job who just happens to be female.  That isn’t _her_ doing. 

Rose shrugs again.

“I’m just saying, Snoke’s side of the firm has some pretty backwards ideas. You never know, Ben might be happy if Poe takes you off his hands – save him the headache.”

The pit in Rey’s stomach deepens, as she realises the grim reality of her situation.

Ben really has no reason to keep her around. He has nothing to gain by supporting her, and _everything_ to lose.  She had hustled herself into this position by the skin of her teeth, but she’s still on probation.  Ben could fire her on the spot and there would be nothing she could do to stop it.  Sure, she could come out as an Omega and accuse him of having prior knowledge, but he could just refute her allegations, and then, really, who would believe her over him?

In a few short minutes, Rey has fallen into the depths of despair. She barely notices as Rose continues to chatter on. 

“Leia’s side of the firm is a lot more lenient on some of the crazy rules. They don’t care about gender – obviously – and tend to be more lax about the schooling prerequisites as well.  So really, as long as you’re an Alpha, you’re good,” Rose finishes with a smile.

Rey can’t return it.

Because she’s _not_ an Alpha.  No matter how much she might wish to be.

Still, she has always been a fighter. She has gotten herself out of worse scrapes than this.  If the worst happens, then she’ll find another way.

Maybe she can try to convince Rose’s boss to take a chance on her like she suggested, or seek Maz’s help somehow. She doesn’t want to resort to blackmail, but that’s always an option too.  Bribery, however, is off the table.  The only thing she has to barter with is her body, and she will never, _ever_ stoop that low.

But she does need an insurance policy, a safety net of sorts. It’s only smart, and Rose has conveniently drawn her attention to one possibility worth exploring.

“So, your boss’s name is Poe?”

Rose nods animatedly in answer to her question.

“Maybe you _could_ introduce me. I’d love to meet him,” Rey says, a slow smile spreading over her face.

It couldn’t hurt to have a few more friends.

***

Ben's not surprised to find Hux in Snoke’s office when he gets there.

He had done his best to keep his cool at the time, but Hux stumbling on his new associate so quickly was _far_ from ideal.  He had hoped to keep Rey somewhat under Snoke’s radar, at least for a week or so, until she had had time to settle in.  In the end, it hadn’t even taken a minute for Hux to sniff her out like a bloodhound. 

Ben’s one saving grace is that it appears Hux also falls into the category of Alphas unable to smell Rey’s true scent.

Perhaps out of all the thoughts he’s had floating around in his head over the past week, the question of whether he really is the only one immune to Rey’s efforts to conceal her Omega signature has preoccupied him the most. The longer he has had to dwell on it, the more the doubts have crept in.  After all, they had only tested her theory on one other person, and Chip may have been an Alpha, but nothing else about him seemed all that impressive.  He could have just been a simpleton; too stupid to know what he was smelling, and too weak to correctly deliver an Alpha command.

The only thing that has bolstered Ben’s resolve during the moments of doubt is _her_ reaction.  She had looked shocked by his discovery of her true designation, and the vehemence with which she attested that it had never happened before gave him hope that it might actually be true.

 _Hope…_ Such a silly word to use.

Had he really been hoping to be the only one with this strange, unique ability?

_Maybe…_

He can’t deny, it gives him no small amount of satisfaction to think that he might be the only one to have this power, to unearth this secret that she has tried to hide so carefully.

It makes him feel… powerful. Something all Alphas crave.

However, for every part of him that relishes in the sense of superiority, there is an equal part that resents being dragged into the whole sticky mess in the first place. He can’t decide if his sensitivity to her scent is a blessing or a curse.

It had taken him a week to get the scent of her out of his nose, and less than a second in her presence this morning for it to return, attacking his senses at full force. It had wormed its way into his brain, inflaming the Alpha voice in his head that just couldn’t ever seem to shut up about her.

_Such a strong Omega. So clever, so determined, so special._

It’s enough to wish for a lobotomy.

So is the prospect of this meeting.

Not wanting to prolong the inevitable confrontation any longer, Ben steps into the office and feels the hair on the back of his neck prickle under Snoke’s icy stare.

“Good morning, Sir,” Ben says with his usual reverent tone reserved for his managing partner.

“Ren,” Snoke acknowledges, wordlessly instructing him to take a seat with the slight tilt of his head.

Ben does so while throwing a scathing glare over to where Hux stands by the window like a scrawny guard dog.

“I hear your new associate starts today.”

Ben jiggles the knot of his tie but looks his mentor dead in the eye as he replies.

“That's correct.”

“I hear that _she_ has been dumpster diving in the discount bin of her local thrift shop.”

_There it is…_

He’s had time to think about how to deal with this. It didn’t take a genius to assume that Snoke wouldn’t be happy when he found out he had taken his ‘non-negotiable hiring criteria’ as more of a soft guideline, which ultimately he had completely ignored. 

Over the past week, Ben had decided his best defence would be to demonstrate Rey’s superiority, prove that she was worth overlooking the stupid rules.

_Snoke always did love shiny things._

Of course, this would have been easier if it had been kept under wraps long enough for Rey to prove herself a little by contributing invaluably on a case or two.

Still, he has to work with what he’s been given.

“You wanted another me. I found one.”

“She is missing a certain _appendage_ that would make her another you.”

Snoke keeps his voice level, but Ben can clearly see the unconcealed fury burning like frozen fire in the pallid blue of his eyes.

He does his best not to shrink under the scrutiny and surges on.

“That's immaterial. She’s like me where it counts, up _here_.” Ben taps his temple. “The girl’s a fucking genius. She’s got a photographic memory, she’s as sharp as a tack and she ran circles around every other idiot I interviewed. She’s my pick. I stand behind her.”

Hux snorts from behind them.

“Yeah, I'll bet you do.”

Ben throws him a filthy look.

“Which university did she attend?”

Ben bites his bottom lip.

“Oh _Ren_ ,” he hears Hux sigh dramatically, and he has to restrain himself from walking over there and punching the redhead in his smug face.

“It doesn’t matter,” Ben counters quickly. “The fact that she is as good as she is despite where she studied should tell you everything you need to know.”

“It _does_ tell me everything I need to know,” Snoke replies, his snake like eyes narrowing to slits, “about _you_.  You have completely disobeyed my orders. You are clearly not ready to step up.”

Ben sits up a little straighter in his chair. His control of the situation is quickly slipping from his grasp, he can feel it.

“Sir, I promise you, I am.”

“Then cut her loose.”

Another demand he had anticipated.

He could comply. It would certainly be the easy option.  But apparently Rey had been right in her interview; he’s not the kind of guy that likes it easy, because for some stupid reason that he can’t rationally understand, he finds he doesn’t want to.

“I can’t do that.”

“That’s not an acceptable answer for a _senior_ _partner_.” 

Ben lowers his eyes to the floor and chews on the inside of his cheek. For some reason, Snoke’s reprimands never fail to make him feel like a scolded school boy. 

“I want her gone, today,” Snoke continues, “or I'll arrange for the ‘ _Senior’_ to be scratched off your office door.”

“But Sir-”

“The girl or the title, Ren,” Snoke states coldly, as dread pools low in Ben’s gut. “ _Pick_ _one_ ; you can't have both.”  
  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Part Two of Rey’s first day...
> 
> Okay, so not a huge amount of Ben and Rey in this chapter, but the next should have more which will hopefully make up for this one. And I know… there’s lots of setup in here, which isn’t always that exciting, but there’s just so dang much to set up for this fic! 
> 
> Also, one exchange in this chapter has been blatantly pinched from the Suits pilot episode with a slight tweak - props if you spotted it :)
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping will happen next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	5. Howlin’ For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey’s first day continues. Ben has certainly had better...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for all your amazing feedback and support! 
> 
> Several people have asked about my update schedule. I usually update on Sunday/Monday and will be doing my best to update every two weeks. If I manage to, I will do my best to update a week early every now and then, but I’m finding the chapters for this story quite time consuming to write. Hope that’s okay, and I will try to surprise you with an early update whenever time permits!
> 
> This chapter is also named after a song by The Black Keys.
> 
> And now, back to the story…

Apparently Ben hadn’t been exaggerating about the inappropriate behaviour at KSO, because by eleven-thirty on her first day, Rey has already fielded three date requests of various levels of crudeness and received four 'compliments' on her ass, not to mention the jerk that actually tried to cop a feel.

She has to be at Ben’s office at noon, so twenty minutes beforehand she follows Rose to her boss’s office to meet the man that her fellow associate can’t seem to stop praising.

She’s got high expectations for Poe Dameron, who by all accounts – or Rose’s at least – is handsome, intelligent, charming and just an all-around nice guy. Rey hasn’t met any nice guys in this place so far, so she’s sceptical, yet hopeful.  Rose doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would lie or take shit from anyone.

Poe has a corner office like Ben’s on the opposite side of the floor, but while Ben’s office is immaculate - almost freakishly neat with everything in its place - Poe’s resembles the inside of Rey’s head during exam time. Books, papers and pens are scattered haphazardly across every available surface and some of the floor, and Rey can’t help but notice the three empty but stained coffee cups that have been shoved into the one small, empty patch on his desk.

The man himself is sat behind his laptop with a pen in his mouth, typing away at a furious speed and barely notices when they walk in. Rey finds at least one part of Rose’s description of him is true – he certainly is good looking, with curly, dark brown hair, tanned skin and a chiselled jaw.

When he finally notices them he greets Rose warmly and Rose introduces Rey. Poe takes the pen out of his mouth, tucks it behind his ear and offers his hand out to Rey over the desk.

“Pleasure to meet you, Rey.”

That’s when he flashes her one of the most charismatic smiles she’s ever come across.

She supposes she can tick off ‘charming’ as well…

She takes his hand and returns his smile.

“Rey is Ben Solo’s new associate,” Rose tells Poe. “I thought I’d introduce her to the non-evil side of the firm.”

Poe laughs heartily, the corner of his eyes crinkling.

“See, this is why I need you on my side if I ever run for office, Tico. You can come up with my campaign slogan.”

“I could do that,” she replies with a laugh. “Speaking of campaigns, I’m going to let you and Rey get to know each other.  Then maybe you can start a little _poaching_ campaign and save her from Snoke’s torture dungeon.”

She gives Rey a wink and like that she’s gone.

“Ready to jump ship already?” he asks with a twinkle as his office door swings closed again.

“I’m not sure, really,” Rey shrugs. “It was more Rose’s idea.  Apparently the ship I’m in is sinking and she kindly wants to find me a life jacket.”

“Mm,” Poe hums, suddenly looking a little more serious. “Not gonna lie, I did have my doubts when I heard about you this morning.  Snoke… well, he is notorious for his aversion to hiring women.  Thankfully, I don’t have to operate under those restrictions - I report to the other named partner. You know, your boss's _mommy…_ ”

Rey feels her eyes widen.

“Wait, Leia Organa is Ben's mother?”

His brows lift.

“Well, yeah. Didn’t he tell you?”

“No! Gosh, and I spent half of my interview yammering on about her.”

Poe laughs again.

“I can’t say I’m surprised. They might be related, but they aren't exactly what you'd call close. ”

“But they work together...”

Poe shrugs.

“It's a big firm. It's pretty easy to avoid people, especially if you work in different divisions, and Leia and Snoke tend to keep their affairs very separate. Even if they didn’t, I doubt it would change much. I get it, though.  I mean, you've met Solo...”

Poe gives her an expectant look, and Rey thinks he is expecting her to nod sagely in agreement, maybe even offer some nightmare story about Ben from their short acquaintance, but the idea that a mother and son could be so physically close on a daily basis and yet so emotionally distant…

To Rey, it’s nothing short of tragic.

It certainly explains why Ben had gotten so prickly in her interview when she had brought up Leia’s influence on her career.

She hadn’t been lying – Leia Organa is the very embodiment of what Rey hopes to achieve in her own career and is one of Rey’s main professional influences, perhaps second only to her primary driver.

The only thing Rey had never been able to figure out during all her late night research sessions was why Leia has stayed at KSO for so long. Once Snoke had taken over as managing partner, the firm had changed and now seemed vastly at odds with what Rey knew of Leia’s values.  It made her curious to know why she had never left.

The knowledge that her son works at the same firm might provide some explanation if they had been close, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, and Rey feels more puzzled than ever.

Still, Rey knows better than anyone that all families come with baggage. By her estimation, ‘strained relationship with brilliant mommy’ isn’t much to cry about.  Hell, she would choose that over the miserable hand she’d been dealt any day of the week.

Anyway, she doesn’t have time to get distracted by Ben’s family dramas. She has a reason for being here at KSO, and a reason for being here in this office right now. 

She needs _allies_.

If Rose is right and Ben does throw her under the bus, she’ll need all the help she can get to crawl back here. A decent relationship with someone in a position of power will go a long way, and Poe seems like the perfect candidate for that.  Plus, there doesn’t appear to be any love lost between him and Snoke or his _lieutenants_ , which might work in her favour.

Keen to test the theory, she finally replies, “I met another charming character this morning, I think his name was Hux?”

Poe’s mouth curls into a wicked grin.

“Oh, the stories I could tell you about _Hugs_.”

She finds herself grinning back.

“Well, what are you waiting for…”

***

Ben has been back in his office for a few hours when Hux saunters in.

The janitor’s already been by to scrape the _Senior_ from his office wall, and while he is rarely in the mood to entertain a gleeful Hux, right now is an _especially_ bad time.

“I don’t believe it.”

Ben looks up from his screen to glare at Hux, who stands over him grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“What do you want?”

“You blew it!” Hux crows, unable to contain his glee. “You had won, Ren. You had me beat, I was _done for_.  You had it in your grasp – the youngest senior partner in KSO history – and there was literally nothing I could do about it.  And you went and fucked it up all by yourself!”

Ben can feel his blood pressure rising higher every second. Of course, it doesn’t help that every word coming out of the smarmy asshole’s mouth is true.  He had been inches away from glory, and he’d let it slip from his grasp.

Still, he’s not about to admit that to Hux.

“Get out,” he grunts instead. “I’m busy.”

“Yes, busy wallowing, I’m sure,” Hux sniggers. “It’ll take a while for you to live this one down.  The powerful, untouchable Ben Solo, so close to greatness, stumbles at the final hurdle.”

“Watch it, Hux,” he hisses dangerously through his clenched jaw, the vein in his temple twitching.          

“I should have known,” Hux continues, his blue eyes gleaming with delight, “I should have known I wouldn’t have to lift a finger, that in the end you’d self-destruct. But even _I_ never would have guessed you’d throw everything away for _some girl_.”

It takes a split second for Ben to explode out of his chair, and only one more for the glee in Hux’s face to drain away and be replaced with fear.

In the end, Ben doesn’t even have to leave his desk – Hux gets the message and evacuates the room in a succession of quick strides, only daring to throw him one last pompous look once he is safely ensconced behind the glass wall that encloses Ben’s office.

He doesn’t move until Hux is out of sight, but once he disappears, Ben sinks back down in his chair and buries his face in his hands.

It’s been a hell of a morning, and any morning that starts with a chewing out from Snoke usually indicates the beginning of a bad day, let alone when that also results in the loss of a career making promotion.

Of course, over the last week spent contemplating how this day was going to go, he had known an ultimatum like this from Snoke would be a possibility. Whenever he had thought about it, he had rationalised it away.  Snoke was a smart man, one that clearly recognised and sought talent – the likelihood of him allowing his preference for males in the workplace to blind him so completely to a stellar candidate seemed improbable.

Even so, when Ben had forced himself to consider his next move if he was made to choose, he had always chosen the promotion. He didn’t even feel that guilty about it.  After all, he’d already gone out on a limb for the girl.  If it hadn’t been for him, for his willingness to keep her secret, she would never have been offered the role to begin with.

He had reasoned that she seemed like a sensible, rational girl. If worse came to worse, he was sure she’d understand.  It wouldn’t be anything personal, but he had to put his own interests above all else. 

That’s what he does.

_That’s who he is._

So he’s really not sure if it was the heat from Snoke’s office – the thermostat in there is always kept a few degrees higher than the rest of the floor – or the bagel from that dodgy street vendor he’d had for breakfast, but somehow, despite all his previous plans, when the time came to give Snoke an answer, he just couldn’t bring himself to sack the quick-witted, sprightly Omega from Jakku.

His decision had clearly shocked his boss, whose face had darkened considerably, and for an awful moment, Ben had been afraid that Snoke might fire her anyway.

His heart had thumped in his chest, and the chorus blaring in his head drowned out everything else.

_The girl. The Omega. Protect the Omega. Keep her safe._

But the moment had passed, and after a long, uncomfortable silence that spoke Snoke’s displeasure louder than any words, Ben had been dismissed from the office.

Which is how Ben had ended up back in his own office, slumped at his desk, brooding over all his life choices that had led up to this one - the one where he had voluntarily given up a promotion for _some girl_...

God, he is _disgusted_ with himself.

And speaking of the girl – _where the hell is she?_

It turned twelve a minute ago and she was supposed to be meeting him in his office at noon - that’s what he had told her before he’d gone off to his reaming session - and yet, she is _not here_.

He’d been planning on taking her out to lunch to celebrate her first day. It’s hardly normal protocol, but watching the way she’d scoffed her food down when they’d gone to the steakhouse last week had made him wonder. 

She’s such a skinny little thing, barely an ounce of fat on her, but that in itself is hardly noteworthy. After all, he’s slept with plenty of wannabe models that won’t deign to touch anything other than water and a salad; the city is crawling with them.

But the enthusiasm with which she’d attacked her meal made him question if she had been starving involuntarily as opposed to just watching her weight like he’d originally assumed. He’d had no doubt she would have licked the plate clean, had his eyes not been on her.  Then there was the throwaway comment that referenced a history of malnutrition, and alarm bells had started ringing.

It did something to him, tugged at him in a strange, compelling way. As much as he might have believed Han and Leia to be unfit parents, they’d never let him _starve_. 

By the time he headed back to the office after her interview, he was already determined to make it his mission to feed her again. He justified it to himself by rationalising that she would perform better if she wasn’t suffering from food deprivation.  

Ben examines his watch - a premium Xizor timepiece with an Oystersteel band and dark rhodium dial that he’d spent a whole month’s pay check on when he had made junior partner.

Another minute ticks by.

_No Rey…_

And yeah, he’s struggling to keep his temper in check.

Because really, how _dare_ she? He had stuck his neck out for her and passed up his first shot at a promotion that would levitate him to KSO legendary status, and she couldn’t even show up to his office on time?  _Really_?

Ben’s blood boils under his skin.

It’s enough to makes him want to march back over to Snoke’s office and change his answer.

He waits one more minute before erupting from his seat once more, the chair rolling backwards from the force, and he stalks out to find Maz at her desk grabbing her handbag.

“I’m off to lunch,” she says without looking up from where she is digging around in her bag for her keys. “Did you want me to bring you anythi-”

“Have you seen Rey?” Ben asks, or rather, demands.

Maz looks up at him with an arched brow.

“No, I left her in the associate’s pen a while ago.”

“She was supposed to meet me here at noon.”

Her brow rises even higher, nearly disappearing into her hairline.

“I’m sure she’ll be along shortly.”

Ben huffs and storms off down the corridor without another word to his assistant, making a beeline for the associate’s pen. To get there from his office, he needs to walk to the other end of the hall and turn right.

He never makes it that far.

Because at the end of the hall, Ben finds her.

He finds her in Poe Dameron’s office, and something twists deep in his gut like a knife.

Because she’s in there, alone, _with Dameron_.

And Dameron is chatting away in that lively way of his and throwing her one of his famous thousand-kilowatt smiles, and Rey…

Rey is laughing, looking so bright and bubbly and full of life, and fuck, the girl has _dimples_ , and Ben…

Ben is _not_ laughing.

Not one bit.

The man in him - the man that graduated law school top of his class, that is always in control - that man is annoyed, irritated, aggravated even at her clear disregard of his orders, but the beast…

The beast within _howls_.

***

Rey is too busy laughing at Poe’s best Hux impression to hear the door to his office swing open.

The powerful scent of him hits her before she sees him, the sandalwood and spice sending a tingle down her spine.

She spins around just in time to see Ben storm towards them, looking as tall and imposing as ever, and Rey doesn’t know why, but for some reason, her feet suddenly move of their own volition and she finds herself taking a big step back, increasing the space between Poe and herself.

“Solo!” Poe exclaims, leaning back on his desk.  “Don’t normally see you down this neck of the woods.”

“Dameron,” Ben nods unsmiling, his eyes never leaving Rey. “I see you've met my associate.”

“I have. She's quite lovely.”

“So glad you think so,” Ben replies, not looking or sounding glad _at all_.

“We’ve just been getting to know each other,” Poe continues, smiling over at Rey again. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually impressed, Solo.  That’s some fine recruiting you’ve done.  If I had a spot open, I’d hire her in a heartbeat.”

Rey can’t help but think she’s done very little to impress Poe so far, which makes her wonder if Poe is deliberately exaggerating the extent of their brief acquaintance. She can’t see how that would be a bad thing for _her_ , so she decides to just roll with it.

“You’ve made my day, Dameron,” Ben replies, his voice dripping with sarcasm as his eyes finally narrowing in on the other man. “The only reason I even bother getting up in the morning is in the vain hope of impressing _you_.”

“Delightful as always, Solo,” Poe retorts with a smirk, before turning back to Rey. “Are you sure you want to work for this guy?” he asks mischievously, throwing her a cheeky wink.

Rey chuckles at the question, until she sees the murderous expression on Ben’s face and stops immediately.

“What’s her alternative – working for you?” Ben probes, but his eyes flash and something tells Rey that Poe is stomping through a minefield.

Poe, for his part, seems oblivious to the imminent danger, and merely shrugs, his smile unwavering.

“Perhaps. You never know, Rey might prefer to be my associate,” he says nonchalantly.

Apparently that’s the last straw for Ben.

“Well, she’s not your associate, Dameron. She’s _mine_ ,” Ben snaps suddenly, his voice intensely deep and guttural as it reverberates around Poe’s office.

Rey freezes. The shock of his outburst leaves her unable to do much more than gape at him with widened eyes.  

As she does so, she takes him in. He reminds her of a wild animal stuffed into a very expensive, well-tailored suit, clamouring to be freed, what with the rapid rise and fall of his chest, the baring of his white teeth, giant hands balled into tight fists by his side, and those dark, piercing eyes, that she has seen humour flecked, soft even, now all untamed, primitive ferocity.

Poe just blinks, raises one thick eyebrow and looks at Ben like he’s grown a second head.

“Geez, Solo, take it easy. I was only kidding.”

Ben doesn’t seem appeased by his words.

“Good to know,” he all but spits at Poe, before continuing. “Now if you don’t mind, Rey and I have a meeting to get to.”

And with that final clipped sentence all the farewell he bothers to give, he grabs Rey’s wrist and practically drags her out of Poe’s office.

Thankfully, he’s got hold of her left wrist, which - while still sensitive from housing one of her scent glands – is luckily nowhere near as sensitive as her _other_ wrist.

After their hand shake, she had been determined to keep him as far away from her mating gland as possible. She’s got enough to worry about without having to be concerned about her traitorous body doing stupid, crazy things.

In no time at all he has stomped her back to his office, pushing straight past Maz’s empty desk, and it’s not until the door shuts behind them that her shock dies down enough for her to round on him.

“Hey!” Rey exclaims, yanking her arm out of Ben’s firm grasp. “ _Have-you-lost-your-mind?”_ she all but screeches at him, punctuating each word with a hard slap to his bicep. 

He doesn’t flinch.

“What the hell was _that_ about?” she demands, her own ears ringing in rage.

Unfortunately for her, she thinks he might have her beat in the anger stakes.

“You were supposed to be in my office at noon,” he thunders as he looms over her, ignoring the question.

“It’s five past twelve!”

Ben raises his watch to her eye level and taps harshly on the elegant silver face.

“Seven past twelve, actually, and if I hadn't come to fetch you, you'd still be in there with him!”

She crosses her arms over her chest and stares back at him defiantly.

“You are being ridiculous.”

“No, I’m not!” he bellows, like the animal he has deteriorated into.

“Yes, you are!” she shouts back just as fiercely. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you need to sort your shit out.  He was just being friendly.”

Ben scoffs.

“Poe Dameron is a fucking jerk.”

“Well, he seemed very nice to me. Since I last saw you this morning, he’s the only guy I’ve spoken to that didn’t feel the need to tell me how great my ass looks.”

Ben’s jaw visibly clenches.

“If you think he’s so nice, maybe you should have been _his_ associate. Except wait, oh yeah, he already has one, so I guess you're stuck with me.”

The fury rolls off him in waves, and she can’t help but roll her eyes at his speech, but as much as she’s beginning to think he’s a bit of a drama queen, another thought occurs to her.

He certainly doesn’t seem to be acting like a guy desperate to be rid of her to save his promotion...

Maybe she had been mistaken. Maybe Rose had gotten it all wrong.  Maybe she had been worrying for nothing. 

Because surely, if something as important as his promotion – and she has no doubt that the ego-ridden sod would consider a history making promotion of paramount importance - was at stake, he would jump up and down at any chance to secure it and expunge himself of any liability.

But that doesn’t appear to be what he’s doing in the slightest. If anything, this whole confrontation feels more like some kind of moronic Alpha pissing contest based on pure instinct. 

Which is crazy, because Ben doesn’t strike her as the type of guy to be driven by his biology – he had said as much himself.

Even so, she can smell his heightened emotions– could smell it from the moment he had entered Poe’s office, radiating through the air from his scent glands. The wild wrath, the intense vehemence, and something else…

All reasoning aside, one way or another, Rey still has an irate Alpha on her hands – one that holds her career in _his_ hands, no less – and the practical, sensible side of her decides it would be best to extinguish this fire before everything goes up in flames.

And then, as if something comes over her, words flow from her mouth calmly, steadily, serenely.

“I never asked to be his associate. I’m already yours.”

It takes her a moment to register exactly what she’s said, because she has the oddest sensation that she was on autopilot while actually speaking, like her brain had switched itself off and something greater had plucked soothing lyrics from the ether to spill from her lips, words meant for him, and him alone.

It confuses her. She would never have picked those words.  She’d just been planning on telling him to stop getting his knickers in a twist.

Well, regardless of how the words had been devised, they seem to work, because the anger fades almost instantly from his eyes as if he’s been hit with a tranquiliser dart. He still looks on edge, a little moody perhaps, but his breathing slows, his shoulders relax, and the weather warning of a raging tempest appears to have been downgraded to a cloudy day.

They stand there, eyeing each other for long, silent moments that bleed into one another.

After an eternity, he takes a step towards her, pushing the boundaries of her personal space, and looks down.  Even with her three inch heels, he towers over her, and Rey feels all the air escape her lungs.

“You're still too short for an Alpha.”

“Don’t you ever have anything nice to say?” she asks, aiming for exasperation, yet failing dismally, and instead it comes out soft and she _hates_ how breathy she sounds.

He arches a brow, looking more and more like a man she recognises – a man who never loses control – by the second. Those dark eyes of his, they’ve lost all their fury now, but none of their heat, and she shivers as they dip lower.

“I thought you were sick of compliments. Or are you secretly hoping I’ll tell you your ass looks good too?”

She glares up at him, the trance broken.

“You're a dick.”

His lips tip upwards at one corner and for the first time that afternoon, he is half smiling.

“Now, now. Is that any way to speak to your new boss?”

She plants her hands on her hips.

“If he’s a dick, it is.”

His smile widens to a full smirk and she might be grateful for the evidence that his foul mood was over if she hadn’t been so pissed off herself.

“Okay, let's call a truce and I'll make it up to you by taking you to lunch.”

Rey continues to glower, but after a moment, she replies as haughtily as she can, “Lunch where?”

For the first time since that morning, Ben’s eyes soften.

“Wherever you like.”

She considers it for another moment, intent on drawing out his punishment, but her stomach rumbles, and she’s never been one to turn down a free meal.

And she feels like steak again. Expensive steak.  She’s been dreaming of it since the first taste she had last week.

“Okay. But I’m gonna make you pay for that.”

She tilts her chin up at him, daring him to object, but Ben merely smiles down at her.

“Oh, I don’t doubt it, little Omega.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello, jealous-possessive Ben - so nice of you to pop by!
> 
> Up next: Ben and Rey have lunch, the mentoring begins and Rey makes a choice of her own.
> 
> The Xizor name is taken from a character from the EU, purely because it sounded like a prestigious timepiece brand name to me!
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping will happen next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	6. Rolling with the Punches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben gives Rey some advice, and Rey takes it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I’m back! My first new chapter since announcing an update schedule… and I’m already a week late. However, I bring you all an extra-long chapter in the hope that you’ll forgive me!
> 
> Thank you all for your amazing feedback on the last chapter! It turns out Jealous-Possessive Ben was quite a hit, so thankfully we haven’t seen the last of him!
> 
> A huge thanks to [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism) for keeping me sane during the writing of this chapter and reviewing some of this for me – she’s a total gem and also an excellent writer, so go check her out! 
> 
> Also thanks to [reylocalligraphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy/pseuds/reylocalligraphy) for making sure my Aussie brain wrote “fries” instead of “chips”!
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by The Blue Stones.
> 
> I think that’s enough notes… here’s Chapter 6.

Okay, so here's the thing...

Rey totally hadn't planned on eating all his fries.

She had only intended to take one - the deep fried, salty goodness that accompanied his grilled fish calling to her from across the table, and while her steak had come with mash again, well… his fries looked better.

But then she had managed to swipe one whilst he ordered a second glass of Merlot, and the second the steaming, thick cut fry touched her tongue, her tastebuds took over and demanded more.

Which is how she ends up spending her lunch break on her first day at KSO by exercising her inner stealth and furtively trying to pinch fries off her boss’s plate without him noticing.

It’s pathetic, really.

That’s never stopped her though.

Her one saving grace is he doesn’t appear to notice, which bolsters her confidence until she’s pulling riskier, more daring manoeuvres, and the sane part of her brain questions whether deep-fried potatoes are really worth risking a career over.

She goes in for her fifth after his phone beeps and he drops his cutlery to read the email, but she misjudges the timing because her fingers haven’t quite reached his plate when he looks up again, and his eyebrow lifts in a way she’s seen before, a shrewd, _knowing_ way and alarm bells start ringing in her head, so she scrambles for a distraction.

“So,” she starts briskly in a higher pitch than normal as she diverts her incriminating outstretched hand to the salt shaker, “how come you didn’t tell me Leia Organa is your mother?”

It does the trick, because instantly his face is transformed into a stormy, brooding mess of features, but Rey is willing to risk braving a _moody_ Ben Solo if it means avoiding a _smarmy_ one.

“Fucking Dameron,” he mutters darkly under his breath.

“Don’t work yourself into another strop,” she tsks as she adds a superfluous grinding of salt to her already salty mash, “and don’t blame him. _You_ should have told me.”

“It wasn’t relevant,” he grumbles through gritted teeth.

“You didn’t think it was relevant that one of my greatest professional inspirations just happens to be your mother?”

“No.”

Rey looks at him in astonishment, her reason for bringing up the topic in the first place all but forgotten as she tries unsuccessfully to make sense of his reaction – _indifference_ at best, though _bitter resentment_ rings more true.

Rey is a smart girl; she’s always prided herself on that. She wouldn’t have survived what she has if she hadn’t learnt from a young age to read a room and adapt accordingly.

Following Poe’s insights on her boss and his relationship with his mother, Rey _knows_ that this is a touchy subject to harp on about.  She knows she should just drop it, let it go, move onto something else, some other topic that doesn’t make his left eye twitch.

But Rey is also just so damned curious, that she finds herself opening her big mouth before she can help it.

“But don’t you know how lucky you are, to grow up with a mentor like that?”

“ _Snoke_ is my mentor,” he interrupts brusquely. “My mother has always been far too busy to spend any of her precious time on me.  But don’t let that dissuade you. Whilst she’s never bothered with her son, she manages to find time for her fan club, so _you_ should be fine.”

She purses her lips as his phone buzzes again, but this time she resists the urge to reach for another fry as he reads the new email.

“Now, if you are quite finished prying into my personal life, we can move on,” he says finally as he places his phone back on the table, “and you can tell me how you're first day has been so far?”

“Well, I've taken the office tour, learnt how to print and fax and been hit on by more sleazy lawyers than I can count.” She rolls her eyes so hard it hurts and sees Ben bite back a smile. “Somebody should really organise a sexual harassment seminar for this place.”

Ben snorts.

“I did try to warn you.”

“Yeah, you’re a real pal…” she retorts sarcastically, but to that, he holds up a hand.

“Hey, I told you, I don’t do relationships in the workplace. That includes friendships, so if you’re looking for a friend, someone that understands you, a sympathetic shoulder to cry on… you’d best look elsewhere.”

Rey scoffs.

“As if I would ever look to you for _anything_.”

He just shrugs.

“Sulk all you want, but I never made a secret of the fact that this would be a hard environment for you to step into. You’re new, and the other lawyers at this firm aren’t big on warm welcomes…”

“Well, that’s not entirely true. They’ve made it clear they’d be happy to welcome me warmly if it meant I’d bend over and keep my mouth shut.”

“If that’s the case, I’m surprised I haven’t had a call from HR to inform me my new associate has been reported for kneeing someone in the balls.”

“Well I didn’t,” she shoots back snippily, but Rey is honest enough to concede internally that it does sound like something she might do.

The strange thing is, even when that asshole had grabbed her backside at the printer, she had been too stunned to do anything other than gape at him and his pathetic, corny pick up line, which, now that she thought about it, is _very_ out of character for her, and the realisation makes her falter.

He eyes her critically as he chews the inside of his cheek, and she hadn’t been expecting - or wanting – compassion from him, which it turns out is a good thing, because what she picks up from him instead is more akin to disappointment.

“Does that mean you’re giving up already?”

“No!” she replies hastily. “No way, you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Oh good,” he retorts, looking down to inspect his nail beds, “I was starting to worry. If you leave after only a day, Hux wins the office betting pool.  My money’s on a month, by the way, just in case you want to help me out and throw it.”

She glares at him.

“I’m not going anywhere, _ever_ ,” she replies defiantly, before her eyes drop back down as her hands play restlessly with the salt shaker.  “I really am grateful for this opportunity, and I’m looking forward to finally getting stuck into a good case and making a difference.  It’s just… I don’t know… I’ve been dreaming of this day for a long, long time, but in all that time I never really expected to feel this… out of my depth,” she finishes lamely, and at the look he gives her, she instantly regrets her moment of weakness that spurred her to be so honest, because he has that look in his eye again, the one that hints at pity, and she would rather see anything else, absolutely _any_ emotion from him, other than _that_ one.

It’s just, well, the day has knocked her confidence a little. She supposes first day jitters are pretty normal, but it isn’t like her to be nervous.  She’s always been the type of person who set her mind to something, and did it.  This method had allowed her to achieve the impossible, and she had faith in it.  She wouldn’t be here today if she allowed herself to be easily rattled.

But now she is finally at KSO, the place she had spent years planning and scheming to be accepted into, which means phase one of her plan is complete and she has to move onto phase two, and phase two… well, phase two is suddenly starting to feel all but impossible.

Phase one had been straight forward as far as plans go; go to law school, pass with flying colours and earn a position at Snoke’s law firm.

Sure, it had been hard. It had involved countless sleepless nights, endless study sessions – thankfully her naturally talented mind had given her a leg up – and plenty of wishing and hoping and praying that at the end of the day, everything would fall into place.  

But phase two of Rey’s plan is much less clear cut, and the uncertainly makes her feel like the map she’d been using to guide her has been ripped from her hands, leaving her stranded in the middle of a dark, gloomy maze with no known path back to the light.

She knows what she needs to do next, but she doesn’t know how to do it. She knows what she’s looking for, but has no idea where to find it.

And after spending the better part of the last five years on phase one, the fear of stumbling when she has only made it halfway through the first day of phase two is… well, it’s terrifying, actually.

And there is a little voice in the back of her head, an annoying little voice that she has always done her best to ignore, a voice that sounds suspiciously like her mother, and it’s been getting louder and louder since she first stepped foot into the mirrored elevator that morning, and it hums condescendingly that maybe Ben -and just about everyone else at this god forsaken place - is right…

_Maybe she can’t do this._

_Maybe she is in way over her head._

_Maybe she should just accept that Omegas are built for ‘one thing’, and that thing doesn’t involve grand, elaborate schemes of amateur sleuthing._

She does her best to ignore it, to shut it up, but it instils in her chest a rising sense of panic that seems to keep growing and growing with every passing moment, until she can barely remember her relentless approach to dealing with life’s problems over the petrifying sensation of being swallowed whole by a hell-mouth.

She is dangling dangerously on the precipice of a full blown panic attack, and is thankfully brought back to earth and out of her unnerving reverie by Ben’s words.

“You need to get a grip, Rey.”

He is staring at her so intently and seriously that she finds it hard to maintain eye contact.

She bites her lip and nods silently at his words, and he continues.

“You need to stand up for yourself, show them they can’t mess with you. I’m surprised I even need to tell you that – you never seem to have any problem standing up to _me_.”

“I know!” she exclaims suddenly, the frustration she’s feeling towards herself bubbling over. “I know, it’s just… they don’t know I’m an Omega – they think I’m an Alpha. They should already respect me.”

Ben sighs and leans forward over the table.

“Rey, for someone who has supposedly been masquerading as an Alpha all her life, you don’t seem to know much about them, so let me give you a little lesson in Alpha 101. Alphas - we respond to power. Strength. Even if you were a man, you would need to prove yourself to earn their respect.  So you can play the victim, you can shout ‘no fair’, you can cry about it all fucking day if you like, but no Alpha will ever admire you for that. They’ll only ever see you as a helpless woman in need of saving.”

“I'm not a-”

“ _I know you're not_ ,” he interjects, waving away her protest, “but _they_ don’t know that, and they never will, unless you _make_ them know it. It’s not enough to smell like an Alpha – you need to _be_ one.  Be confident, be bold, take risks. Show your superiority, force it down their throats, make them choke on it. That's the only way they will ever respect you.”

She chews her lip as she reflects on his words. They make more sense than she cares to admit.

In reality, he hasn't said anything she didn't already know, but having it all laid out for her in such blatant terms triggers something in her brain, that _never-say-die_ survival attitude of hers that has been in sleep mode all day, and suddenly it’s buzzing to life.

She really hasn’t been acting like an Alpha. One comment from Rose had sent her running scared, scrambling desperately for a backup plan instead of carrying on with her initial course. And he's right, she had also let the other, less friendly Alphas completely walk all over her.

As grateful as she is for the wakeup call, Rey laments that it had to come from _him_ , and came at the cost of him perceiving a weakness in her.  Up until now, he had thought her fearless, an image she had been eager to cultivate, and she’s sure his admiration of that quality is what had landed her this opportunity in the first place. 

Now she just hopes this hasn’t ruined his opinion of her.

“Okay, you're right," she concedes, bolstering herself up. "It’s decided then; next time one of those slimy lawyers lays a hand on me, I'll punch them in their privates,” she says with a grin, but suddenly his eyes narrow sharply.

“Someone touched you?”

“Well, yeah, some idiot grabbed my ass, and I know, I know, you warned me and I should have been expecting-”

“ _Who?_ ”

The quiet violence of the word nearly makes her jump in her chair.

“I don’t know who he was, he didn't exactly introduce himself. About your age, medium height, mousey brown hair. Dressed in a bright yellow bow tie with skinny pants three inches too short for him and no socks, like a first rate douchebag...”

“That’s Bradley Walsh from Bankruptcy.”

“Okay...”

Ben’s jaw visibly clenches, the muscles in his neck straining. Finally after a long, silent pause, he continues.

“You are a good judge of character,” he says after a long, silent pause. “That guy _is_ a douchebag."

“I don’t know why that still surprises you. I had _you_ figured out in a minute,” she teases with a smile, though her smile fades when he doesn’t return it.  

In fact, she can’t help but think he seems a little preoccupied throughout the rest of their lunch.

When she notices he’s been staring off into space for a whole uninterrupted minute, she absentmindedly reaches for another one of his fries. He only has a handful left, but he looks like he’s finished eating, and letting fries as good as these ones go cold and undevoured feels like sacrilege.

Plus, her own plate is clean, but her belly isn’t quite full. It had been another long week of lean meals few and far between once she had thrown the majority of her signing bonus into paying off her many overdue loans.

Sadly, however, it seems her luck has run out.

“Oi, Scavenger,” he drawls, his eyes sharp and bright and trained directly on hers, and her attention returns to him with a jolt, “are you really gonna eat all my fries?”

His large hand moves quick as a flash, and before she knows what has happened he has swiped the fry from her fingers and demolished it in one bite.

“I haven’t eaten them all,” she mumbles.

“No, you’re right,” he retorts sarcastically, “thank you for being kind enough to leave me _two_.”

It’s an exaggeration. Even as he speaks there are four left on his plate, and she’d seen him eat a few earlier.  Still, the implication remains, and Rey feels her cheeks flush. 

She is on the verge of apologising, when she stops herself. If she apologises, she would only be further playing into the Omega stereotype.  He told her to be bold… Now seems as good a time as any to follow his advice. 

So instead she shrugs nonchalantly and meets his intense gaze.

“Sorry, Boss, I was just taking what I want, like a true Alpha,” she says, plucking another fry off his plate and pops the whole thing in her mouth, lifting her chin brazenly.

Ben’s mouth curves into a wicked grin, and then, after following her lead and helping himself to another fry, he takes a slow, dramatic bite.

He polishes it off, along with another, licking the excess salt off his forefinger and thumb with blazing hot eyes that stay glued to hers. Rey shifts in her seat and swallows hard and desperately tries to keep from staring at his tongue as it darts out to swipe the pad of his long fingers.

The flavour of salt and herb still lingers on her own tongue, and yet every fibre of her being craves another taste. Her fingers itch wildly, and in a moment of pure and utter madness, Rey nearly reaches out to seize his hand so she can take over and replace his tongue with her own.

She bites down hard on the inside of her cheek, her whole body nearly shaking from the effort of resisting the sudden, intense impulse. At this point, she would kill for another fry, just to give her restless hands and trembling mouth something to do.

He appraises her idly from across the table, and then, as if reading her mind, he pushes his plate towards her.

“Go on,” he sighs with a studied air of reluctance.

She quickly steals his last fry before he has a chance to rescind his offer, but he doesn't, he doesn’t say anything, actually, but she swears she sees the ghost of a smile dance across his face.

“Thanks,” Rey tells him quietly once she has swallowed her mouthful.

His eyes soften as he watches her, until he smiles at her indulgently.

“You’re welcome, little Scavenger.”

She does her best to fight back her own smile, but she has a sinking feeling she doesn’t quite succeed.

***

After lunch, they head back to Ben’s office so he can assign Rey her first task. They haven’t even reached Maz’s desk when Rey can see what awaits her on Ben’s small conference table.

Boxes.

Lots and lots of them.

“Okay, that's a lot of boxes,” Rey notes, staring in astonishment at the piles and piles of them heaped to the ceiling.

“It is,” Ben agrees blandly. “Armand Isard is trying to bury us in paperwork on the Crymorah Syndicate case.”

“So… what do you need me to do, exactly?”

“Somewhere in this stack of dead trees is our smoking gun against Berch Teller and his associates. I need you to find the needle in this proverbial haystack.”

As it turns out, her first task is reading.

Lots and _lots_ of reading.

“Okay…” she says, taking in a shaky breath. “When do you need it done by?”

“Tomorrow morning should be fine.”

“Tomor-” she splutters, “Are you serious?”

“Yes. Why, can’t you do it?”

“Of course I can do it,” she shoots back, crossing her arms as she wonders wildly if that is in fact true.

“Not quitting again?”

“I was _never_ quitting!”

“Good, just making sure,” he smirks as he heads for the door. “With your little superpower, this should be a piece of cake. Just be thorough.  Don’t miss anything; you don’t want to have to do it twice.”

“And where are you going?” she calls after him.

“I have important things to do. I’ll meet you back here at eight tomorrow to hear your findings.  That’s _eight sharp_ , Rey - not _seven past,_ so don’t go getting distracted by Dameron or any other smartass around here again.”

“But if I can’t talk to smartasses, how will I give you my update?”

“ _Rey_ …” he warns.

She offers him an innocent smile.

“Sorry, _Sir_.  That was just a joke, _Sir_.  It won’t happen again, _Sir_.”

The corner of his mouth tips upward at the title, but he doesn’t respond. He’s nearly out the door when she calls out his name to stop him, and he twists his neck back around to look at her.

“Ben… there isn't really a pool going on how long I'm going to last, is there?” she asks hesitantly.

“No,” he admits with a sly smile, calling back behind him, “but if you have another freak out like today’s, I'll start one myself.”

Rey scowls as she watches him leave, and then sets her mind firmly on the task at hand.

He’s right about one thing – her mind does make her well suited to this particular assignment. She’s an exceptionally fast reader, and everything she reads, she retains.  It sticks to her mind like glue.  If someone asked her to, she could recite her grocery list from last September.

Six hours in and four boxes down, she starts to feel peckish again, but when she makes to leave Ben’s office to grab some crackers to tide her over, Maz kindly offers to go pick up a sandwich for her on the company credit card. Rey isn’t sure if this is usual protocol for junior associates that will be working late, or if Maz has just taken pity on her considering her first day of work will more than likely be an all-nighter, but either way, Rey isn’t complaining.

Rey goes back to her reading, pulling the first file from the top of the stack in Box 5, and she’s eight pages in when she hears the door to Ben’s office swing open.

“That was fast,” she says, her head still buried in the document as she finishes the paragraph. “Did they have chicken and salad or were they already out?”

She never finds out, because the voice that responds isn’t Maz’s.

No, this one is silky soft and icy cold all at the same time.

“Forgive me for interrupting,” the voice simpers, sending an unpleasant chill down Rey’s spine, “but I wanted to meet the girl that my protégé found worthy of jeopardising his career.”

***

Ben hadn’t been lying when he’d said he had things to do.

The majority of his afternoon is taken up by meetings, tedious affairs that he would much prefer to sit out, but unfortunately cannot always manage to avoid.

He spends most of his time in there contemplating his next move for winning back his promotion. There’s no doubt the events of today were an unfortunate setback, but he’s never let something like that stop him before, and the more the thinks about it, the more he is convinced that given the right circumstances, Snoke can be made to change his mind.

However, since lunch, he’s added something of extra importance to his to-do list for the day.

Which is how Ben ends up spending the better part of half an hour hunting down Bradley Walsh, the fifth year associate specialising in Bankruptcy law under senior partner, Ansiv Garmuth.

He finally manages to track him down in the men’s bathroom on the fifth floor. Bradley looks up from where he’s washing his hands in the basin to see Ben in the mirror.

“Ren!” he exclaims jovially in greeting.

“Walsh,” Ben replies, acknowledging him with a nod.

“I’m glad I ran into you, actually,” Bradley continues, drying his hands with a paper towel. “Do you think you could convince Snoke to let us have the Friday after the KSO Gala off?  I know it’s still a while away, but I just thought if you mentioned it to him now, there would be time for the idea to grow on him, because I’d really prefer to spend the day in bed sleeping off my hangover.  I mean, who organises an office funded booze up on a _Thursday_?”

“Probably a managing partner that doesn’t want to encourage all his employees to get completely shit-faced at a work event.”

Bradley just scoffs at that and slaps him on the back, apparently not noticing Ben’s face darken at the contact.

“Why even bother having one then?” Bradley continues. “We don’t have parties very often; I’m sure it wouldn’t kill the old man to let us have a little fun for once.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Ben replies, keeping his tone light and indifferent, “you seem to have a talent for enjoying yourself in any environment. I distinctly remember having to take over one of your depositions last year after you drank too much at lunch and accidentally divulged our strategy to the pretty defending counsel.”

Bradley barks out a raucous laugh.

“Shit, I completely forgot about that. It’s the scotch at Eleutherian Plaza – it’s so potent you’ll forget your own name after a couple of sips.”

“Mmm, lucky for me then that I didn’t have any, because I remember everything.”

Ben’s eyes narrow sharply and Bradley must sense the slight shift in the atmosphere, because his grin falters for a split second before he recovers with another chuckle.

“Yeah, well… lucky for me too, I guess. You saved my ass that day, Ren.”

Ben offers him a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, before speaking again in a quieter voice.

“I heard you met my new associate today.”

Bradley’s face immediately brightens at the change in topic.

“Oh yeah, what a piece of ass!” he whoops animatedly, waggling his eyebrows. “I know Snoke is fuming, but the rest of us red-blooded Alphas aren’t complaining!”

Bradley elbows Ben in a conspiratorial way, and Ben stiffens. His temper – which is on a short fuse at the best of times – threatens to erupt, and his body practically shakes under the effort it takes to keep from losing it.

“I think you're operating under a misapprehension, Walsh,” he says thickly, turning to face Bradley face on and drawing up to his full height. “Miss Jensen hasn't been hired to entertain the likes of you.  She’s off limits.”

For a moment, confusion flitters across the other man’s face, before it recedes into a knowing look.

“Ah, I get it…” Bradley snickers with a wink, “you’re claiming this one for yourself.”

Ben wets his lips as that insane voice in his head starts up again.

_Yes, she’s mine. Mine, mine, mine!_

He pushes the lies firmly to the back of his mind and refocuses, intent on denying it, but before he can, Bradley continues.

“That's not like you, Ren. I thought you didn't dip your dick in the office bitches.”

Ben’s left eye twitches, and when he next speaks, his voice drops an octave and he enunciates every single word slowly and clearly.

“She’s not mine. She’s not _anyone's_. But she’s certainly _not_ _yours_.”

Bradley shrugs and gives him a sly smirk.

“Well, maybe not yet, but you never know… even Alpha sluts enjoy a good knotting every once in a while.”

And yeah, that’s it.

That’s all it takes for Ben to snap.

In an instant, he has Bradley pinned to the wall by his neck, his insipid, yellow bow tie crushed under Ben’s massive hand. All outside sound is drowned out by the buzzing in his ears, and he can feel Bradley’s throat flex wildly under his fingers as he fights against the force of Ben’s grip to gasp frantically for air.

Ben takes a moment to bask in the shocked horror reflected back at him in Bradley’s wide eyes, and then leans down to hiss ominously in his face.

“ _Listen up, you piece of shit_ ,” Ben spits, his nostrils flared. “You are fucking _delusional_ if you think there’s a universe in existence in which you would be worthy of her. If you ever lay so much as a _finger_ on her again, I will _end_ you.”

It's always a rush, the feeling of dominating over another Alpha, but on this particular occasion the victory is extra sweet. He relishes the sounds of Bradley spluttering for another minute, before releasing him, the shorter man slumping to the floor and heaving loudly as he scrambles to catch his breath.

“As I said before, Rey Jensen is off limits,” Ben tells him as he straightens and readjusts his charcoal grey tie in the bathroom mirror. “Spread the word; anyone who messes with my associate will have to answer to me.”

He takes Bradley’s soft whimper as acquiescence and turns to leave, but Ben stops and looks back before opening the door, having thought of one final thing to say.

“Oh, and by the way; if I ever again hear you refer to Miss Jensen by any term that isn’t one hundred percent respectful, I'll make sure you no longer have the capacity to knot _anyone_ ever again - KSO employee or otherwise.”

Bradley gives him a small, quivering nod, and Ben smiles and exits the bathroom, leaving the other man to tremble in solitude.

***

Snoke is even uglier in person.

That’s the first strange, maddening thought that bursts to the forefront of Rey’s mind as she tries to register this strange turn of events.

Because he’s here; the man she has spent years researching. All those long, late nights scouring the internet for information on him and often coming up short since he keeps such a low profile, but she had managed to find a couple of photographs so there is no doubting his identity now.

Tall and slim with pallid, wrinkly skin, angular features and icy blue eyes.

It’s definitely him.

Rey does her best to ignore the rising sense of panic bubbling in her chest. This meeting is happening way sooner than she had ever intended.  She had been vehemently hoping to slide under his radar for a few months; it would make it so much easier to sneak around.

But clearly that ship has sailed. Rey needs to adapt, so adapt she will.

When she has gotten over the shock of his sudden, unexpected appearance, she is then able to replay his words in her own head and try to make sense of them.

_Protégé._

_Jeopardising his career._

But that would mean…

Rey’s gut clenches again, but for a completely different reason this time, and the next words she utters come out before she has any further time to think.

“What are you talking about?”

His pale eyes narrow.

“Didn’t he tell you how much trouble you’ve caused him? You cost him a record-breaking promotion today, girl.”

All the air instantly whooshes from her lungs, and all she can think is - _no, surely not, no way_ – because even if she’s only been around Ben Solo for the better part of a day in total, she _knows_ him.  She knows his type – he’s selfish and he always puts himself first, he has admitted as much himself.  Hey, she gets it - she’d probably do the same.

Except…

That doesn’t explain why the managing partner of KSO is standing before her now, telling her Ben sacrificed a promotion for her benefit.

Her mind whirrs.

Because surely, _surely_ not…

But Snoke’s testimony - hell, his mere _presence_ \- presents her with irrefutable evidence that she can’t ignore.

_Ben gave up his promotion._

And not just that…

_Ben gave up his promotion - for her._

Rose’s fears were apparently well founded. Well, half of her fears, anyway.  Because he might have been forced to choose, but apparently his final decision had been widely considered an outside chance.

_Ben gave up his promotion for her, and he didn’t even say anything._

It’s the injustice of it all - that's what _really_ gets to her.  That Ben would be punished for doing the right thing, for helping _her_.  She had known it was a possibility, but now that it is actually reality, she can’t just accept it, even though he apparently had.

And oh, the more she thinks about it, the more mortified she becomes, because suddenly things are clicking into place, everything makes more sense.

His bad mood before lunch, and she’d kept him waiting, and he’d had to go looking for her…

No wonder he’d been furious.

The guilt foams and froths in her gut, and she has half a mind to storm past Snoke and go looking for Ben so that she can apologise or thank him or _something_ …

But then she looks back at Snoke.

Ben hadn’t told her what he’d done for her, but Snoke has. He’s come here, all this way, to Ben’s office, specifically to tell her.

Why?

Surely there can only be one reason – to cause trouble.

And then there’s the voice, the other voice in her head, the _unfamiliar_ one, the one she’s only ever heard a handful of times in her life, and it whispers to her….

_The big, strong Alpha protected you. He defended his Omega, like a true Alpha._

Rey is still digesting it all when Snoke speaks again.

“What's your name, girl?”

“Rey.”

She doesn’t give him her last name. While she doubts he'd recognize it, she'd still rather not, though she knows it won’t take him long to find it out if he chooses to seek it out.

Even from his place a few arm lengths away, he looms over her where she sits, which is unacceptable. _Appearance is everything in a place like this_ – isn’t that one of the many things Ben has taught her today – so she closes the file she’d been reading and stands up tall, straightening her posture with her shoulders back and her head held high, and looks him dead in the eye.

“Let me guess; he didn’t fire me so you’ve come here hoping to guilt me into quitting?”

“Not at all,” he replies, though his jaw clenches. “I just came to give you a piece of advice; you are _way_ out of your depth.”

Rey refuses to cower, placing her hands on her hips and returning his cold, calculating stare with a fiery one of her own.

“To be fair, that’s more of an opinion than a piece of advice – an opinion I don’t happen to share.”

He huffs out a humourless laugh.

“Such spunk,” he comments. “I can see why Ren likes you.  I had assumed it was just his hero complex coming into play - I fear Ren has always had a weakness for a damsel in distress.”

_Ben had told her to be confident._

“I'm nobody's damsel,” she retorts assertively. “I'm here because I'm good, and lucky for you, your _protégé_ had enough sense to realise that.”

“My protégé,” he grits back, all appearance of charm obliterated, “made a mistake - one that needs to be rectified. I should just fire you myself right now and be done with this whole mess.”

She has to do something - now. Snoke has her in his crosshairs, and if she doesn’t act now, she'll be gone anyway.

A plan begins to formulate in her mind. A plan that might not only save her own butt, but Ben’s as well.

Rey’s brain works at lightning speed, and the perfect rebuttal comes to her.

“You could,” she concedes with a shrug, “but then Ben will know you didn’t respect his choice. Plus, in less than no time, I'll be back here working for Leia. Poe Dameron has already made it clear he wants me on his team, and once that happens, I will be back and completely out of your grasp.”

Oh, it’s a dangerous bluff, but it flows from her mouth regardless with a smoothness that her lies don’t usually carry.

Her instincts tell her Snoke would never call her bluff. He might question it, may even suspect, but to confirm it would mean going to Leia, and from what she has gathered so far from Ben, Poe and Rose, she very much doubts Snoke and Leia have regular catch-up meetings, or that he would voluntarily put himself in a weakened position in front of her.

Still, she’d rather not give him too long to contemplate that possibility, and so she quickly follows up with his second option.

“Or... you could let me prove to you how good I really am.”

His eyes narrow as he scrutinises her closely, one eyebrow arched in curiosity. After a long moment, he breaks the silence.

“What are you proposing?”

_Ben had told her to be bold._

Rey’s heart thumps in her chest, the sense of momentary triumph at this little win mingling with near overwhelming anxiety from what she knows is to come, but still, she ploughs forward relentlessly.

“I'm a winner, and I’m willing to prove it. Give me a case - any case you want. Because I'll win it, and when I do, you are going to give Ben back his promotion - a promotion you never should have taken away in the first place.”

His eyes rake over her, brimming with distain.

“And if you lose?”

_Ben had told her to take risks._

Rey takes a deep breath and squares her jaw.

“ _If_ I lose… I'll resign from KSO.”

Snoke considers her for a long moment, until his thin mouth gradually curves into an ominous grin.

“Very well, young Rey,” Snoke practically purrs, his eyes gleaming. “We have a deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gulp… 
> 
> So that’s it for this one, Rey’s first day concludes and our plot moves forward. 
> 
> Up next: Rey gets her first case…
> 
> Plenty of Star Wars references in this chapter. Bradley Walsh is an original character, but all other names mentioned are taken from the Star Wars Universe.
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping will happen next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	7. Cold Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey’s first case comes attached to several nasty surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!! Just quickly, I am still so overwhelmed by all the love and support I’ve received for this fic!  Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read, kudos or comment so far, you have no idea how much it brightens my day :D
> 
> Also, I need to revise my update schedule slightly. This fic is actually much more time consuming to write than [RDAD ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14769464/chapters/34156511)was – there are so many moving pieces and things for me to work in here and there, and I am afraid of rushing it and lowering the quality, so updates going forward will be more like every 2-3 weeks. If I ever can, I will of course update sooner :)
> 
> This, ladies and gents, is a set up chapter. Setup chapters are never my favourite, but they need to be done. You have been warned.
> 
> This chapter (along with the next few) is a little more law intensive, which, as you all know, is _not_ my strong suit.  Please read with a pinch of salt, and if there are any lawyers/paralegals/law enthusiasts reading, please let me know if there is something I can improve - otherwise feel free to suspend your disbelief.
> 
> I need to once again give a huge thank you to [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism) for betaing most of this one for me – she’s a genuine angel for putting up with this pregnant and very hormonal writer!
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by Dave Not Dave.
> 
> Onto the chapter.

Sometimes, when the stakes are high and the adrenaline’s pumping, people do stupid things.

This is something Rey learns as she works tirelessly through Monday night and into the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

She is left in complete solitude once Maz goes home, since Snoke only stayed long enough to establish three things:

  1. He would identify a suitable case and advise Rey of the specifics at an undisclosed time in the near future.
  2. Rey is to handle the case on her own - she is not allowed to pass it off to anyone else.
  3. Under exactly _zero_ circumstances is she to disclose their little deal to anyone, especially _Ben_.



He had made it clear that breaching any of these instructions would immediately make their wager null and void, and that her position at KSO would likely follow suit in short order, before sweeping from the room, leaving Rey to wonder what the hell she’d just gotten herself into.

The sudden anxiety over her impulsive act threatens to swallow her whole, so she buries her head in files and does her best to forget that she has just thrown everything on the line – nearly five years of sweat and tears – for her Alpha manager who, up till now, has sent her so many mixed messages she doesn’t know if she’s Arthur or Martha.

He truly could be such an ass at times – most of the time, really - but then he’d also hired her, and let her eat his fries, and had apparently even put her ahead of his promotion to his manager’s chagrin.

And then… there are the little looks… the secret smiles… the cutesy nicknames.

It's enough to make her head spin.

All in all, she doesn’t regret her decision. Not really.  He’d helped her, and she owes him, and Rey isn’t the type of person to leave debts unsettled or scales unbalanced. 

Still… Snoke’s menacing smirk hovers at the forefront of her periphery for the rest of the night as she pores over document after document in search of the smoking gun in Ben’s Crymorah Syndicate case.

She doesn’t finish until four in the morning, and in the end, she barely has time to go home, shower and have a two hour nap before it's time to head back into the office. Ben asked her to meet him at eight sharp, and there is no way she is going to keep him waiting again.

Despite the sleep deprivation, Rey dresses with care, as she had the morning before, hoping that today’s efforts would prove more satisfactory, although one glance in the mirror at her flat hair and bloodshot eyes makes her instantly cringe. She doesn’t have time to do much other than apply a little dry shampoo along with a light layer of foundation and some nude eyeliner – tips she had picked up from her college days – but it does the trick.

She had also resolved yesterday to set aside a decent chunk of her next pay cheque to actually buy some fancier clothes, maybe from the swanky department store she’d spotted near the Supremacy last week. Sadly, until then, she would have to make do with what she has, but she prides herself that, while certainly not designer, her clothes are always clean, classy and well-pressed - the black slacks and cream blouse she selects today no exception.

In the end, Rey makes it to his office five minutes early, despite having trouble with her bike lock and having to take the stairs when the peak hour elevator line threatened her punctuality, and when he looks up from his computer as she bursts in, flushed with a relieved smile and dumps her bag on the couch, his eyebrow arches upward.

“It’s seven-fifty-seven,” he remarks, shaking the wrist where he wears his watch.

“Seven-fifty-five, actually. I think your watch is fast.”

He doesn’t look impressed at the observation.

“I said eight _sharp_.  Why do you seem to have such a problem managing your time?”

She eyes him incredulously.

“I just ran up a gazillion flights of stairs to get here on time, and now you're complaining that I'm early. Are you seriously going to ask me to wait outside for three minutes?”

“Well, if you are correct and my watch is indeed fast, it may be better if you wait outside for _five_ minutes.”

Rey crosses her arms over her chest and squares her shoulders.

“I’ll argue with you for the next _hour_ before I do that,” she challenges, glaring at him. 

And Rey is no doormat. She can’t be. 

That’s an Omega thing, and Rey is not a stereotypical Omega.

He wanted an Alpha – and he’s gonna get one. She doesn’t know an Alpha alive that would put up with this nonsense.

She can only pray that her expression conveys the deep, unyielding hatred she feels towards him in this moment. She wants him quaking in his shiny Oxfords.  She wants to see his Adam’s apple quiver under his tie.  Really, she’s aiming for true terror here.

Apparently it doesn’t translate, because after a long moment of him studying her in all her scowly eyed, nose flaring glory, his lips quirk upwards at the edges in an amused smirk.

“Take a seat, Rey,” he offers finally, indicating to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

She does so, albeit a little huffily.

It’s just all so frustrating.

She had been so determined to make a real, conscious effort today to improve on some of her mistakes from yesterday. After learning what he had done for her, she had figured it was the least she could do - show up on time, prove that she took his directions seriously…

But now he is being so damn _unreasonable_.  It’s enough to drive anyone to the edge of sanity. 

Even though she’s seated, Ben doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to wrap up what he was doing when she came in. No, on the contrary, he continues to peruse his emails as if she isn’t even there, and part of Rey is sure that he’s doing it on purpose, that one way or another he is hell-bent on making her wait until the clock strikes eight before commencing with their catch up.

Minutes tick by, and the irritation she feels towards him builds and builds, bubbling in her chest until it rises up her throat and threatens to explode.

She taps her foot against the leg of the desk, the hard heel clicking against the metal as she stares daggers at him. The tapping gets louder, but Ben appears unperturbed, in fact, if he can hear it, he doesn’t let on at all, except that Rey is sure his eyes have a mischievous gleam in them that wasn’t there before.

At one point, she even tries to sneak a glance at his screen, just to be sure he is actually working, and not playing solitaire or something, but when she leans forward and tries to angle herself to get a better view, he tilts the screen further away from her and _tuts_. 

At her.

Like she’s some kind of naughty school girl.

_Oh, she’s gonna kill him._

He continues to click away at his keyboard until his computer beeps to signal the start of a new hour, at which point he finally shuts his laptop with a snap and turns to face her, a pleasant, innocent smile gracing his lips.

He opens his mouth to start speaking, but Rey has had enough - the stupid smirk must go – she’s going to get in first.

“So, how did you go with the-”

“I met your boss yesterday.”

Much to her satisfaction, the smirk vanishes as planned.

“What?”

“Your boss, Snoke,” she repeats with a smarmy grin of her own now. “He was eager to meet me apparently. You know, on account of the fact you gave up your senior partnership to save my job.”

Ben’s jaw works hard, but Rey thinks his mind must be working harder, racing to regain control of the situation.

The little win soothes some of her annoyance, and when she speaks again, it’s in a softer tone.

“Why didn’t you tell me you lost your promotion because of me?”

His eyes flash dangerously and he sits up a little straighter in his chair.

“What good would that have done? Would you have fallen on your sword and handed in your resignation to save it?”

“Well, no… but-”

“No, of course you wouldn’t have,” he interjects. “And I wouldn’t expect you to.  People look after themselves in this world.  I didn’t tell you because it wouldn’t have made a difference.”

“But, that’s exactly my point, that’s what I don’t understand - why didn’t you just throw me under the bus? You could have kept your promotion and gone on your merry way.”

“I could have. And every second you yammer on about it makes me wish I had.”

“Then why didn’t you? I don’t get it.  Up till now, you wouldn’t have struck me as a selfless person.”

He leans back in his chair and arches a brow.

“No?”

“No,” she retorts shortly. “So why?  You keep telling me you don’t care about anyone, that you don’t do relationships of any kind at work, and then you go and do _this..._ What’s the reason? Why keep me here?”

She is truly desperate to know. Ever since finding out what he did for her, the question of _why_ has been rattling around in her head, getting louder and louder with every moment it goes unanswered.

It just makes no sense to her, and Rey is a big believer in logic. After all, sense and logic is all she has to fall back on in this crazy world, and right now, her whole world is out of order, because she has come up with a million possible reasons for his actions in her mind, but the only ones that make some kind of sense to her all stem from…

 _Compassion_.

The last motivator she would ever associate with this man.

And yet…

The laws of probability and reasonable deduction do seem to uphold that hypothesis. Why else do something _so_ selfless?

Unless, of course, this is some desperate scheme to guilt or manipulate his way into her bed… though that seems even more out of character, and therefore, even more unlikely.

Still, the curiosity burns through her. It’s a puzzle that must be solved, for her own sanity if nothing else.  She _needs_ to know. 

He had jeopardised his career for her. Now she has thrown her own career on the line for him – it is imperative that she confirms her growing suspicions about him…

_That maybe he’s not such a bad guy after all._

Ben considers her through narrowed eyes, his fingers drumming against the glass desk, until suddenly he is leaning forward across it, his upper body, all wide shoulders and solid chest, slowly and steadily advancing towards her like a beast moving in for the kill, and something in Rey is now on high alert, because in this hunter-prey scenario, she knows which one _he_ is, and what that makes _her_.

“Let me get one thing straight, Rey. I do care about someone - _me_.” He points at himself in a sharp, jerky motion.  “I care about _me_ very much.  And however annoying you might be, there is no doubting you have certain natural abilities that could prove to be very useful to me if utilised correctly.” 

Rey’s forehead puckers in disbelief.

“You expect me to believe you kept me around to help your career, even though my mere presence has created a huge setback for said career and infuriated your manager?”

Ben doesn’t waver.

“Snoke just needs some time to get used to the idea and see what you can do. Once he realizes how valuable you are, he'll give me back my promotion and everything will go on as before. I'll have my promotion, and I'll have a decent associate that makes my life easier instead of harder.”

She eyes him skeptically.

“Surely you don’t expect me to believe that?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Because it makes no sense!” Rey exclaims spiritedly.

“And what would make sense?” he throws back at her with a sense of foreboding. “Do you really think I’d take this risk purely out of the goodness of my heart?” 

It’s probably more of a rhetorical question, and sarcasm drips from every syllable of his sentence, but still, Rey takes a breath to reply…

Until she stops.

And actually mulls over his words.

No, of course that wouldn’t make more sense, even though yes, that is exactly what she’d been thinking.

He had thrown her a lifeline in her interview for some unfathomable reason that she is unlikely to ever know, but then he had spent the next hour creating plans and extracting promises from her that would indemnify him, should their little secret be discovered.

Hell, if he is to be believed, the only reason he has bothered with her at all is because he aims to capitalise on her photographic memory. And really, now that she thinks about it, that makes _perfect_ sense as his motivator. The mere fact she had ever considered altruism as a quality he might possess makes her wonder if she is just suffering from an extreme case of sleep deprivation, or, if she has indeed _completely_ lost her marbles.

“No… I guess not,” she replies finally, a little deflated.

She was just seeing what she wanted to see, not what was actually in front of her.

He studies her silently as one of his large hands rubs over the smooth skin on his chin.

Finally, he nods sinks back in his chair, flashing her a rueful smile.

“Don’t worry, Rey,” he says coldly. “Your instincts were right - I’m not a nice person. You are free to despise me with a clear conscience.”

It is of little comfort to her.

He goes on to ask her how she went with the files, and seems somewhat surprised when she confirms she did get through them all, but Rey’s head is somewhere else.

Rey goes through her findings as if on autopilot, but all her mind can contemplate is the deal she made, and the man she made it for, and now, knowing everything she might be losing, she can’t help but wonder if she did indeed make the right choice.

It’s not that she’s disappointed. She totally isn’t.

And quietly, as he goes through her notes and comments on this and that, she reminds herself that it’s okay.

She’s still here.

 _Why_ she is still here, really doesn’t matter.

She’s been given a gift, and Rey knows never to look a gift horse in the mouth.

And hey, it’s not as if she had only made the deal for _him_.  Snoke had been closing in on her, she had needed to do something regardless, something that would earn his respect and solidify her place here.  Truly, it had just been a happy side effect that it had also appeased some of the guilt she’d felt at learning of his sacrifice… or… whatever it was.

And really, she was just being stupid, thinking he might have done what he did because he _cared_ , or even…

Yeah, no.

She’s not even going to go there.

Because the idea that he might care _about her…_

Yeah, _that_ is stupidity at its finest.

But it’s okay. She doesn’t care about him either.  She’s not here for him.  She has her own purpose.

She has things to do.

In fact, she should be thanking him.

It’ll be much easier to get on with the task at hand now that she doesn’t have to worry about the possibility of Ben being caught in the crossfire.

***

After her meeting with Ben, she had returned to the associates’ pen and carried on with her work, waiting for the next onslaught of sexual harassment that was surely to come.

This time though, she had been prepared for it. She had been ready for the mob of sleazebags, ready to put them in their place.  She’d come up with a new rule; if anyone touches her, she’s allowed to touch them right back - with a fist to their nose.

Of course, in the end, she needn't have worried, because no one had so much as looked at her inappropriately that day, or any other day that week.

The idea that all the Alphas at KSO suddenly learned manners overnight certainly seems improbable, but Rey isn’t going to complain.

She is just grateful to have one less thing to worry about.

Ben proves to be an exceptionally busy man. Most of his time is tied up in meetings, and he is always being dragged into other people’s cases to provide assistance when things get dire.  She’s lucky if she sees him a couple of times a day, just long enough for him to give her the next task he wants her to work on, and honestly, the less time she has to spend around him, the better.

It leaves Rey with plenty of time to contemplate her next move, except she quickly realises that the next step in cementing her place at KSO is to win her first case… a case that she hasn’t been given yet.

The unfortunate thing is, until she wins or loses, Rey is effectively in limbo. She doesn’t feel she can move forward with her plan until she has passed this first hurdle, a hurdle that hasn’t yet come into view.

A hurdle that she is coming to fear more and more.

As the days go by, her apprehension only grows.

She keeps her head down and does her job, making herself as useful as she can, soaking in as much knowledge as possible, and all the while, she waits…

For the other shoe to drop.

For Snoke’s bomb to go off.

It takes a week – a whole week – before it does.

***

On the morning of the following Tuesday, Ben is listening to Rey debrief him on her latest assignment and trying not to glower.

It’s been over a week since Rey started at KSO, and things have been…

 _Tense_.

To say the least.

Ben knows it’s his own fault. Since their meeting on the second day, Rey has been acting distant, cold, only speaking to him when her job demands it, and only ever about the work itself, and really, that had been his objective, so he shouldn’t complain.

She’d been getting too close, too familiar.

And the look in her eye when she’d questioned him about why he’d given up his promotion, so full of suspicion and curiosity and…

 _Hope_.

Yeah, it had been too much.

She had somehow gotten a completely wrong impression about him.

Ben Solo doesn’t do nice things for other people. He thought he had established that pretty clearly in her interview.  It would be better for her to learn that now, to dash those hopes straight away and reset some realistic expectations, than let her carry on operating under that particular misapprehension that would only guarantee disappointment further down the line. 

And if it means that she no longer makes direct eye contact with him, no longer engages in playful banter with him, no longer _smiles_ at him with those cute little dimples of hers, smiles that feel like shooting stars to him due to their rarity and loveliness…

Well, then so be it.

Let her hate him – he doesn’t care, despite what the stupid little voice in the back of his head might whisper.

It’s better this way. Easier.  Cleaner.

This way he can focus on what he needs to do – win cases and win back his promotion, a promotion he probably shouldn’t have given up in the first place.

Ben is reminding himself of this for the tenth time in half an hour when Hux walks in, uninvited as always.

“Good morning, Ren.  Baby Ren,” he greets Ben and Rey respectively, sounding chirpier than usual – already a bad sign.

“Hux,” Ben returns without looking over. “Isn’t it a little early for you to be seeking my advice on a case?  At least _pretend_ to give it a go on your own ‘til lunch – there will be plenty of time for me to bail you out in the afternoon.”

It’s so easy now, to ruffle Hux’s feathers. He’s had so much practice at the task that he barely has to devote any energy to do it these days.

“Actually, I’m not here for you. I’m here for _her_ ,” he finishes, jutting his chin at Rey.

That gets Ben’s full attention.

“What are you on about, Hux?”

Hux straightens his tie and moseys further into his office with an air of nonchalance, but Ben can feel poorly concealed excitement practically radiating off him in waves.

“The managing partner has deemed it the appropriate time to give your associate a case of her very own, so I’ll be stealing her for the next few weeks.”

Both the man and the beast roar to life in mutual dissent.

“ _Excuse me_?” he thunders, leaping out of his chair.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ben can see Rey’s eyes widen as she stands rooted to the spot.

Hux merely smirks, those devious little beady eyes of his gleaming in triumph.

“You heard me, Ren. Snoke wants to put your little charity case to the test, but he fears you’ll coddle her like a baby duckling throughout the whole process, and since he wants to see what _she_ can do, he has requested I take over the role of trusted mentor.”

A sneering smirk curls his lips, and Ben has a sudden intense desire to remove it with his fist, a fist that is now balled tightly at his side and begging him to make good use of it.

The idea of Hux taking his place, stealing his rightful role in Rey’s career, even for a second, makes him feel physically ill. Every atom in his body stands on high alert, pumping and pulsing in revulsion at the wrongness of it all.

And the voice in his head that has been droning away for two weeks seems to have found its lungs and is currently _screaming_ its disapproval on repeat.

The girl is _his_ associate.

She is _not_ to be taken away.

_She is his._

The man in him, the rational man that passed law school with flying colours, isn’t faring much better. He gave up his promotion to keep her, and now he’s going to lose her anyway and potentially be sidled with some ignorant, witless moron? 

_Over his dead body._

“This is outrageous,” he hisses at Hux, puffing up his chest and taking a step towards him, yet for once, Hux seems unperturbed.

“Take it up with Snoke,” Hux just shrugs, standing his ground.

Oh, he’s going to, in fact, he’s just about to seize Hux by the collar and march him down to Snoke’s office, when the object of their conversation – who he had nearly forgotten was even present – steps in between Hux and himself and clears her throat with a delicate little cough.

“Ben, it's fine.”

Ben’s head whips around to look at her, his eyes practically bulging from their sockets.

“I was hoping for a chance to prove myself anyway, and this seems like the perfect opportunity to do so,” Rey continues, and he can’t help but think she looks way too calm and collected and not at all opposed to the idea of being _torn away_ _from him_ like this, which only incenses him further.  

“Rey-”

“I don’t need you fighting my battles for me,” Rey snaps suddenly, cutting him off. “I’m perfectly capable of handling this myself, so don’t feel the need to do me any favours.  I wouldn’t want to be a burden - I know how it pains you to do anything for anyone else.”

Ben freezes in place and swallows the rising lump in his throat.

He knows he deserved that, logically he _knows_ he does, but he’s damned if it still doesn’t hurt like a bitch.

The icy indifference that meets him when she finally looks him in the eye – that hurts too.

But when she pushes past him and follows Hux out the door of his office without looking back…

Yeah.

That hurts the most.

***

Rey follows Hux down the corridor to an office she’s never been to, one only a fraction smaller than Ben’s.

When he motions her to, Rey takes a seat in one of the two empty chairs facing his desk and waits for him to sit down himself, except he doesn’t. Instead, Hux disappears out of the room, and Rey takes the opportunity the solitude provides to settle her nerves and familiarise herself with her new surroundings.

One quick glance around would tell her who it belongs to, even if she hadn’t been able to logically deduce it, because there must be at least ten framed photographs of a certain pompous redhead scattered throughout the room on various surfaces.

Other than the artwork featuring his own face, Hux’s office appears to have been styled in a more classical way to Ben’s, his desk a dark, polished oak rather than sleek glass and metal, and the walls are peppered with renaissance style paintings instead of sporting memorabilia. Both, however, look like they are professionally cleaned on an hourly basis – not a speck of dust to be found anywhere.

When Hux finally reappears, he is holding a sterling silver tray full of porcelain dishes, and as he comes around the corner and sets it on the desk, Rey realises it’s a tea set.

She blinks at the white fine bone china, decorated with dainty blue roses and framed in a shiny silver trim.

“That's a very... _effeminate_ teapot.”

It’s a cheeky comment, one that she probably should have kept to herself considering the situation she is currently in, but she just can’t help herself, and even now she has to work hard to conceal her smirk.

Hux doesn’t reply, but his lips purse in a way that communicates louder than any words how unimpressed he is with her remark.

Rey notes that his tray features the aforementioned teapot, along with sugar and creamer, and only one cup and saucer set.

Apparently _she_ isn’t invited to this mad little tea party.

And before this moment, Rey would never have thought that she’d lament her inability to share a cup of tea with Hux - never in a million years – except then he starts pouring the brew into the delicate cup and she gets an intoxicating whiff of the rising steam.

“Ooh, that smells _amazing_ ,” she moans, basking in the scent of bergamot. “Earl Grey?”

Hux looks up at her in surprise, though he quickly schools his features back into an impassive state.

“It is indeed, Earl Grey.” After a pause, he asks, as if he can’t help himself, “how did you know that?”

Rey picks up the sugar pot to inspect the china and shrugs.

“One of my mother's few redeeming qualities was her penchant for a loose leaf blend.”

Hux eyes her with curiosity.

“It has always been my view that tea is the hot beverage of choice for the upper echelons of society. Of course, most people littering this city can’t look past their precious _coffee_ ,” he says snootily, wrinkling his nose in repugnance.

For a moment, Rey thinks he might almost be about to _smile_ at her – a prospect that equally intrigues and terrifies her – until he glances down and sees what she has in her hands.

“Kindly unhand my sugar bowl,” he sneers curtly.

Rey is tempted to pretend to drop it in some comical fashion, but ultimately thinks better of it, and so she places the pot back down on the silver tray with exaggerated care.

Hux retrieves the sugar pot and silently scoops a teaspoon of sugar into his cup, and then another, before examining Rey silently as he stirs the sweetened liquid.

“I assume you know why you’re here,” he says finally, placing the teaspoon back down on the tray.

“My first case,” Rey nods, all smiles gone now as her heart starts to beat faster in her chest with trepidation.

“Mmm, yes. Snoke has also filled me in on your little… request.”

Rey stares at him.

“He has?”

“But of course,” Hux confirms, practically purring. “Should you be successful, Ren will reclaim his senior partnership.  I don’t know how you got the managing partner to agree to that, but it’s of little importance, seeing as I doubt it will happen.”

Rey’s mind whirls.

So Snoke had told Hux about her side of the deal, but clearly not of the repercussions she would face if she loses. She knows instantly why he has done it; Hux’s knowledge of the potential for Ben to win back his promotion will work against her here – as if he needed any further encouragement to want her to fail.

Rey holds in the string of curse words that threaten to spill from her mouth and squares her shoulders to Hux.

“We’ll see about that. Now, are you going to give me the case or not?”

Hux gives her a smile that more resembles a sneer and, without any further preamble, throws her a file.

Rey opens it and reads the first few sentences before looking back up at him.

“It’s a wrongful termination lawsuit.”

“It is.”

Rey returns her attention to the file and peruses it carefully, and sure enough, her heart sinks further into her stomach with every sentence she reads.

She will be representing the defendant in the case of _Swan v Hutt Construction_.  From what she gathers from the provided documentation, the plaintiff, Mischa Swan - an Omega - was formerly employed by Hutt Construction – a subsidiary of the Hutt Group – as an accountant.  Miss Swan claims her employment was wrongfully terminated by her manager, Vice President Ziro Tiure, due to his dislike of her need for heat leave.

Most workplaces in the country now offer heat leave to Omegas for obvious reasons… However, it is still a relatively new practise – only being passed into legislation several years ago - and certain individuals that miss the ‘good old days’ still resent some of the more recent attempts to bring equality to the national workforce.

The dossier also includes pictures of both Swan and Tiure, and Rey inspects both the pretty, young, innocent girl who might only be a year or two older than Rey herself, and the older man with three chins who leers up at her from the page with a slimy smirk.

When she finishes the briefing notes, she skims the subsequent pages that feature copies of some of the evidence already submitted by the plaintiff, and quickly feels the last of her hope die as she reads an email chain.

“But… he’s already admitted to it,” Rey says, looking up in astonishment at Hux, who she finds sipping his tea and watching her with a glint in his eyes. “It’s in the emails – he complains about it over and over to the CEO, and in this last one, he specifically states that any accountant he employs going forward will be, and I quote – ‘ _crunching numbers, not knots_ ’!”

Hux snorts.

“Ha! That’s a good one.”

Rey feels her jaw drop of its own accord.

“That’s _disgusting_ , is what it is,” she scolds.

He doesn’t look the least bit chastised.

“That hardly matters. This is the case you have been assigned.  Do with it what you will.”

Rey continues to stare at him with bulging eyes, and she’s fully on the verge of panic now, because she hadn’t been naïve, she’d known Snoke wouldn’t gift her with a slam dunk, but this… this is so, so much worse that she had imagined.

Discrimination against Omegas already hits very close to home. Rey may not want to classify herself as an Omega, she may have even resented being one all her life, but they were still her people, and Omegas, whatever everyone else might say about them, have historically always gotten the short end of the stick.

It comes down to understanding, or a lack of, Rey believes. The misconception that so many people operate under is that Omegas have it easy, that they get to enjoy extra time off from work, purely to indulge their sexual desires.  In reality, Rey doubts anyone who would voluntarily choose to be condemned to suffer regular heats if they understood what that truly meant, even if they come with extra leave.

Heat leave is akin to sick leave – not just another name for Omega Spring Break.

Needless to say, the issue strikes a chord with Rey, and the idea of defending someone like Ziro, someone who is clearly guilty of perpetrating injustices against her own designation, makes her skin crawl.

Apart from having to represent someone that repulses her in every sense, she also has literally _nothing_ to work with. 

All the evidence is stacked against her, and just one look at their pictures and Rey knows instantly that Ziro will make one of the most unsympathetic defendants in the history of law. Even Rey is sure she would side with the plaintiff on this one.

Rey tells Rose as much a little while later after she exits Hux’s office – the smarmy asshole having been careful to give her literally _zero_ pieces of useful advice – and trudges back to the associates’ pen with slumped shoulders and the offending file.

Rose’s face when she finishes giving her a brief recap of the case doesn’t do anything to lift her spirits.

“Geez, Rey. I hate to say it, but that sounds pretty much unwinnable.”

Rey worries her lip between her teeth until she tastes blood.

Rose clearly must sense her mounting terror, because suddenly her dismayed expression is replaced with something a little more optimistic.

“Well, the good thing about getting an unwinnable case is it's just that - unwinnable.  It would be different if it was housing court or something... If you lost there, you may as well pack up and go home. But losing a case like this is expected, which totally takes the pressure off! I mean, I doubt even Poe could win this one... so just give it a shot, try to do something clever along the way that will win you some points with the partners and get it over with so you can move onto your next one. After all, if losing is guaranteed, then you have nothing to lose!”

Rose finishes her pep talk with a satisfied flourish and beams encouragingly back at Rey, who feels like she’s turning to stone.

“Yeah, right...” Rey mutters thinly as her throat constricts and the pit of despair threatens to swallow her whole. “Nothing to lose…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so basically, as you all correctly predicted, Rey is screwed…
> 
> Up next: The case progresses, and Rey further contemplates the implications of heat leave and all that it entails…
> 
> Another Star Wars reference in this chapter. Ziro Tiure, as many of you probably know, is Jabba the Hutt’s uncle. Mischa Swan is an original character.
> 
> The Hux tea party scene is dedicated to Jess444, with whom I discussed various things Rey and Hux might bond over at length very early on in this fic!
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping will happen next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	8. All Eyes on You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben confronts Snoke about Rey’s case. Rey struggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!! Sorry it’s been a while! You are all so wonderful and kind and supportive and I hope you will accept this extra-long chapter as my humble apology! 
> 
> Again, refer to my earlier disclaimer regarding legal jargon in this story. Legal terms etc will most likely be a mix of multiple countries, since I’m an Aussie but most of what I know about the legal system comes from US television… Please don’t judge me too harshly :D 
> 
> Also, I am somewhat ready to get over my denial about what a beast this story has morphed into, and have upped the chapter count to thirty… I’ve had this story planned out in its entirety for ages, but some plot points are taking longer than expected, probably due to my rambling...
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by Alice Boman.

Ben is fuming.

Properly livid.

If he’d been a cartoon character, he’d currently have steam coming out of his ears.

After Rey and Hux had left his office yesterday, he had charged straight over to Snoke’s, only to be told by Bazine that Snoke was out for the rest of the day.  He had stalked back to his own office in a rage, much to the misfortune of the third year associate that Hux had sent over to assist Ben in Rey’s stead. 

To say Ben was unimpressed with the switch would be the understatement of the year…

Maz, to her credit, didn’t take long to pick up on Ben’s foul mood and spring into action.  It was probably around the time the poor kid – a bald-headed bore named Todd – informed him that he had seen it fitting to completely disregard the post-it system Rey had used to annotate the Crymorah Syndicate briefs and replace it with his own colour-coded sticker structure that made the files now resemble a rainbow.

See, the thing about Ben is, he is pretty easy to figure out.

When he is upset, he broods.

When he is pissed off, he vents.

But when Ben is furious, like, properly enraged…

He goes _deadly_ silent.

Like the calm before the storm.

A storm that inevitably always comes.

To be fair, Todd did an admirable job of pretending he wasn’t about to wet his pants until Maz - feeling the need to take matters into her own hands before things truly escalated and got out of hand - took pity on him and escorted him out of the room until he was a safe distance away from Ben, his temper and the looming explosion. 

Ben wasn’t sorry to see him go. 

It was decided all further communication between him and his new helper is to be trafficked through Maz going forward, and once he informs Maz of the busy work he needs done, he sets his mind to his next goal – finding out what the hell Snoke and Hux are up to.

Hux had been annoyingly tight lipped about it all when he cornered him in the bathroom at lunch time.  He was clearly loving it, being in possession of something that Ben wanted, and he made the most of this new, unprecedented situation where _he_ was in the loop, and Ben was most decidedly _not_.  His only response to Ben’s various petitions, demands and threats was to suggest Ben take it up with Snoke, which, of course, _he_ _would_ , except Snoke _wasn’t there_.

Luckily for Ben, the news of Rey’s case spread like wildfire, and by four that afternoon it is the talk of the break room.  It takes very little prodding to extract the details from a fifth year associate, who is eagerly offering great odds on Rey losing to anyone within earshot, and Ben feels his gut clench as he reconciles what he learns about the case with his own prior knowledge.

Ben had worked for the Hutt Group on multiple occasions – had even assisted the CEO, Jabba Desilijic Tiure, with a trade deal very recently and had listened to Jabba complaining about a wrongful termination lawsuit involving his uncle Ziro during small talk in between meetings. 

This must be the one…

Ben can’t help but fear the associate’s odds might be right on the money.

From what he could recall, Jabba had been fuming that his uncle had had another indiscretion, fearing that his carelessness had resulted in the accusing party having actual evidence of ongoing discrimination that resulted in an Omega’s termination of employment.

He even vaguely remembers hearing briefly about the case from Snoke himself a week prior to Rey starting, when Snoke had given him a heads up that a wrongful termination lawsuit involving Hutt Construction might end up in his lap to sort out if things continued to get worse.

Apparently he had decided to handball it in another direction…

It only serves to anger him further.

An evening of stewing on it all does nothing to dim Ben’s ire, and when the next morning comes around, Ben marches himself past Bazine and straight into Snoke’s office with just as much bubbling resentment as he’d had yesterday.  Snoke doesn’t seem the least bit surprised to see him there, or the least bit intimidated by his bad mood.

“Ren,” he acknowledges lazily without lifting his eyes from the papers he is perusing through half-mooned reading glasses.  “To what do I owe the pleasure so early in the day?”

Ben suspects he already knows, but he barrels forward regardless.

“Hux has repossessed my associate.  He informed me it was on your orders.”

“Did he now?” Snoke asks coyly, one thin eyebrow arching slightly as his face shifts with the beginnings of a sly smile.

“He did,” Ben retorts shortly, willing himself not to shout, to remain calm.  Yelling at people at KSO has often yielded excellent results for Ben, but he knows from experience that raising his voice to Snoke is counterproductive.  “Is it true?”

Snoke doesn’t reply at first, instead seeming to be completely engrossed in his document once more, and Ben tries his best not to fidget as he waits – patience never having been his strong suit – until Snoke finishes his paragraph and slowly removes his spectacles to better inspect his protégé.  Ben feels the unpleasant, prickling sensation of being X-rayed by those cold, pale blue eyes that never seem to miss anything, before Snoke finally replies.

“It is,” he says simply, without a breath of sympathy or apology. 

Ben bites his lip and counts backwards from ten, focusing on keeping his breathing steady and not on the growing urge he has to throw a fucking fit.

“Okay… and am I allowed to ask why you thought it necessary to instruct Hux to take my associate and replace her with some generic moron from the pen who barely knows the difference between a Non-Disclosure Agreement and an Affidavit?”

“I find it quite disheartening that your opinion of our associate pool is so low, Ren,” Snoke replies lightly, but something dangerous glints in his eyes now.  “Are you insinuating that the girl is the only person in this firm capable of assisting you?”

“You asked me to find an associate.  She was my choice.  Don’t expect me to happily settle for second best.”

“Your statement implies that this girl is the best, something that, as things stand, I remain unconvinced of.  Hence the need for this exercise.”

“What exercise?” Ben demands sharply.

“Did Hux not inform you?  Your little associate has been given a case of her very own.”

“Yeah, I did hear about that.  The Hutt Construction wrongful termination lawsuit,” Ben bristles.  “Seems like a pretty tough case to dump on a first year associate.”

“Well, with how talented you’ve made her out to be, I admit I was eager to give her a bit of a challenge.”

Ben scoffs.

“A bit of a challenge? Come on, even Hux couldn’t win this case.”

“Ah, but as you’ve so frequently said, she is such a clever little thing, I’m sure she’ll find it a breeze.”

Momentarily stumped, Ben chews on the inside of his cheek. Snoke looks all too satisfied at the turn of the conversation, and Ben, for the life of him, cannot think of a way to counter this.  He feels backed into a corner of his own making, completely unsure of where to go from here.  It’s an unfamiliar situation for him, and he doesn’t like it.  Not one bit.

Before he can think of a suitable retort, Snoke starts again.

“You seem to be showing a lot more doubt in your associate’s abilities today than you did a week ago.  The other day when we spoke, you told me she was another you.”

“She is,” he says with a confident nod.

“And could _you_ win this case?” Snoke probes with a cunning look.

Ben has led too many hunting parties to not recognise when someone is going in for the kill. He can sense it coming from a mile away, see it all unfolding before his very eyes before it actually has, and yet he feels helpless to do anything to stop it.

Because the honest answer to Snoke’s question is undeniable, and to say anything other than the truth would be the height of foolishness.

“Yes,” he says finally.  “I would find a way.”

And he would.

If it was him in Rey’s place, he would try a million different things, and if they all failed, he would try a million more.  Because that’s what he did. That’s what he is.

He is a closer. 

A damn good one.

He wins when no one else can.  And he doesn’t give up.

That’s why he gets away with more than anyone else in the firm.  That’s why he is Snoke’s greatest prize.

He knows this and so does Snoke, who is grinning back at him now like someone who is just about to call checkmate.

And sure enough…

“Then I’m sure she will too.”

Ben swallows the lump in his throat and remembers that there is one person at KSO that wins more than he does, and unfortunately, he’s looking right at him.

It is unbelievably frustrating, and it must show on his face, because Snoke rises from his seat and walks over to Ben, patting him on the back with solid pressure.

“Don’t look so glum, Ren.  I'm sure it will only be a temporary measure.  If the girl wins, she'll be back under your direction in no time.”

Snoke’s wording does little to comfort him, and it’s with a clenched jaw that he probes further.

“ _If_?”

The hand on his back squeezes slightly before dropping back to Snoke’s side as he strolls casually to the door.

“Well, surely you wouldn't want to keep her if she proves inferior... you want _the best_ , after all.”

Ben blinks rapidly, and his whole body tenses in revulsion. His only source of relief comes from the fact that his boss has his back to him and is therefore unable to witness the very physical reaction he seems to be having to the idea of permanently losing the girl.

When Snoke reaches the door, he opens it and turns back to his subordinate.

“My apologies, Ren, but I have a meeting to prepare for, so we will have to end this here.  I can only hope you got the answers you were looking for.”

His words are sickly sweet and lethal all at the same time; sugar syrup poured over a poisoned apple.  Ben really doesn’t see much point in continuing this argument however, and so with a small nod he makes for the open door.

He is nearly through it, nearly free, can practically taste the fresh air, when-

“You failed to mention how pretty she is, Ren.”

Ben freezes mid-step as ice flood his veins at Snoke’s softly spoken words. 

Luckily, he has had years of practise schooling his face into an expression of neutrality, and never has he needed that training more than now.

“Did I? I guess I must not have noticed,” he replies, looking Snoke dead in the eye and being careful to keep his face blank and voice impassive.

He’s only an arm’s length away from Snoke, and once again he feels those pale eyes examine him, doing their best to penetrate his skin and discover hidden secrets.

Finally, Snoke smiles and nods.

“Mm, very wise, my young protégé.  Only the most foolish of men allow themselves to be taken in by the fleeting splendour and shallow delights of a woman.”

Ben nods one last time to his mentor and leaves the room as if the fires of hell are licking at his Oxfords.

***

After a sleepless night, Rey is feeling a little worse for wear when she arrives at KSO the next day.

She hadn’t been able to sleep a wink, the case and the consequences of failure pressing on her chest until she felt both nauseated and suffocated at the same time.  Her whole night was spent trying to regroup and come up with her next move, some spectacular stunt that would save her from certain doom.

Unfortunately, she came up short in the miracles department, and at this point, she feels as though her best option is to try to redefine the parameters for ‘winning’ the case.  Perhaps, given the dire circumstances, she could convince Hux to consider a settlement a win if she is able to settle the case under a certain figure.

Her hopes are quickly quashed when she goes to see Hux that morning and suggests the idea to him, and he informs her, in no uncertain terms, that the only way for this case to be considered a victory for KSO and for Rey is if Hutt Construction doesn’t have to pay _anything_ at all - not a single cent.

In short, her only hope of keeping her job is for a victimised Omega to drop her iron-clad case against her disgusting former employer.

It’s hard not to feel a little demoralised by the whole situation.

It doesn’t get any easier when she meets Ziro in person.

He is somehow even larger than his picture had indicated, something Rey wouldn’t traditionally have a problem with, except that he seems to purposely block up half the doorway to the meeting room so that in order to slide past him she has to press up against him, chest to chest, and the slimy grin on his face as she does so makes her want to sock him in his giant gut and throw up all over his triple chins simultaneously.

He doesn’t seem as eager to repeat the process when Hux enters the room, instead retreating from the entry and taking a seat, the leather seat creaking dangerously under his enormous weight.

Hux makes the introductions and Rey does her best to ignore the giant slob’s ogling.  Hux had informed her prior to the meeting that he would be attending all client meetings as the senior lawyer for the case.  He had arrogantly implied that this was to soften the blow and avoid disgruntling Hutt Construction with the knowledge that KSO had left them in the hands of a female first year associate, although Rey suspects he really just wants a front row seat to the greatest train wreck in KSO history.

“The girl has been shadowing me,” Hux tells Ziro.  “An inconvenient, yet necessary evil to training the next generation of lawyers.  Provided you have no objections, I will be asking Miss Jensen to take the lead in the depositions and settlement talks.  We are hoping this case will give her some valuable hands on experience - get her feet wet, so to speak.”

Ziro leers at her, and his belly rumbles in a low chuckle.

“Mmm, I have no objections to getting any part of her wet, Hux.”

Rey swallows down a fresh wave of bile and takes a deep breath.

“Mr Tiure,” she interjects sharply, “given the mess you are currently in, as your lawyer I feel it incumbent on me to advise you to cease with the inappropriate innuendos towards women.  Feel free to start with myself.”

“Oh, so you’re a feisty one!” Ziro exclaims, his eyes lighting up in excitement, before roving down her face and over her décolletage.  “I don’t mind a bit of fight in my women.  It makes for good sport.”

She can smell him from where she sits, a fresh wave of the pungent, offensive smell of sweaty Alpha stinging her nostrils at his delight. 

Rey has always found it funny how Alphas can smell so different while being so discernible at the same time. 

They might all be Alphas, but Ziro’s acrid stench is completely distinguishable from the sterile, lemony scent of Hux, and a million worlds apart from _Ben’s_ , who is all intoxicating virility and spicy, delicious-

With a jolt Rey cuts off her train of thought and shakes her head so sharply it hurts.

“Those kind of statements won’t read well to a jury,” Rey tells him, somehow managing to refrain from finishing with; _you disgusting slug_.

“I don’t understand how I’m being painted as the bad guy here,” Ziro bellows suddenly, slamming a fist on the table.  “These Omegas beg us to give them a shot, demand equal rights, and then the second I throw one of them a bone, she’s got me paying for week long _sexcapades_ once a month.  And when I finally get fed up with it, _I’m_ the one in trouble.  It’s utter bullshit and speaks to the sorry state of this country’s government that it’s been allowed to happen.”

Hux shrugs lightly.

“The amendments to the Employment Act introducing payable heat leave were certainly contentious at the time, but they have been in place for years now, Ziro.”

“That’s fine when Omegas are filling lower paying roles,” he grunts, “but they’re rising higher and higher up the food chain, gunning for positions of power, demanding pay rises.  Pretty soon, the easiest way to avoid these issues will be to refrain from hiring Omegas all together.”

“That is a tactic many companies have started adopting,” Hux concurs blandly.

“Mmm, yours for one.  I think Snoke might be onto something there.”

Rey feels her blood pressure rising higher by the second.

She knows this is not an uncommon opinion.   She’s watched the late night debates on television, listened to the call-back segments on the morning radio, heard the discussions on public transport.  Plenty of people out there see the increase in Omega rights as a threat to the economy and feel the pros of better integrating that particular designation into the workforce don’t outweigh the cons.

The sad fact is, even measures put in place to safeguard Omega rights could be used against them.

It’s infuriating, but getting into a heated argument with either of these men right now is not going to help her cause, and it’s not going to help her keep her job.

Feeling a sudden need to regain control of this meeting, Rey stands abruptly.

“ _That’s enough_.” 

The eyes of both men snap to her, and she takes a steadying breath before continuing, directing her speech to Ziro.

“This discussion is hardly helpful.  We have a job to do – to defend you and your company against these claims – a job you haven’t made easy for us.  You are entitled to an opinion, but the value of Omegas in society is no longer a topic we will discuss here.  Going forward, if you want me to represent you, you will be respectful during our time together and conduct yourself in a manner befitting a civilised adult, or I will not treat you like one.”

She can feel Hux’s eyes on her, wide and outraged at the way she has treated a client, but her gaze remains fixed on Ziro.  She stares him down, in that way she has seen Ben do to others once or twice during their first week together, mustering up every bit of faux Alpha confidence for her performance.  He stares back, meeting her challenge, but she doesn’t look away, doesn’t falter, despite her inner Omega screaming bloody murder at her for daring to offend an Alpha.

And then, blessedly, his eyes drop, and he nods.

Just once, but it’s enough.

She takes this as a sign of respect, and presses forward.

“Now,” she says, blood pumping in time with her quickened pulse, “if we could get back to the matter at hand.  To determine the best strategy to progress with, I have questions I need you to answer.”

Rey spends the rest of the meeting taking the lead and collecting as much information from Ziro as she can, looking for anything that might help her.

Regrettably, she comes up short.

Whilst the sexist, misogynistic commentary is put on hold for the rest of the session, she still finds Ziro repulsive, and nothing he says regarding the emails gives her any indication that they have been taken out of context or have some other more wholesome meaning.

She leaves the meeting feeling extremely deflated and daunted by the mammoth task ahead of her.  The pressure of having so many eyes on her, watching her every move, waiting for her to fail…

It’s overwhelming.

Things don’t get any better as the days go by. 

Desperate to devise some kind of plan, she delves through employment contracts, character witnesses and email trails with a fine toothed comb, and yet try as she might, she can’t find any legal loopholes that might protect Ziro or discredit the other side’s evidence. 

After Rey gives up on finding some kind of hidden halo circling Ziro’s head, she switches her attentions to the plaintiff, Mischa Swan.

Spurred on by Ziro’s comments during their meeting, Rey starts looking into the leave itself.  Going back over Miss Swan’s two years of employment, she finds that - as Ziro had suggested - she had taken roughly six days of heat leave every month on average, which is slightly out of the ordinary, though it delivers Rey little in the way of hope. 

Omega heats periods are known to vary, with most Omegas having one heat every two to three months, usually lasting anywhere between three to five days.  Six days of heat a month _is_ higher than the average - rare even - but definitely not unheard of.  Plenty of things could affect an Omega’s heat cycle.  Stress, diet, medications, even basic genetics – they could all alter the frequency and duration of an Omega’s heat – something Rey knows better than most. 

Even considering the angle makes Rey twitchy.  Omegas are often accused of prolonging heat leave outside of their heat period by the other designations, and she for one doesn’t want to perpetrate that behaviour or add to the stigma surrounding heat leave.

Still, it _is_ unusual, and Rey is desperate, and it might potentially help explain some of Ziro’s frustration – at least to a certain type of judge or a carefully selected jury – so Rey determines to look into it further and see if she can uncover anything. 

Unfortunately, the digging she does into Miss Swan yields very little. 

She had always scored well in performance reviews, had provided doctors’ notes for all the leave she had taken, and has excellent character references both within Hutt Construction and outside.

In short, she’s squeaky clean, unlike _Rey_ , who feels dirtier by the second.  She knows it’s her job to defend her client to the best of her abilities, but it still makes her skin crawl.

A week after her initial meeting with Ziro, Rey is sat at her desk, up to her eyeballs in reading material, examining old cases that she might be able to use as precedent for one argument or another, when she is yanked unceremoniously from her reading by an excited Rose, who comes bounding up to their desks with the largest smile on her face that Rey has ever seen.

“There are _mini muffins_ in the breakroom!” Rose all but squeals.  “Poe bought them in for Kaydel’s birthday.  Have you met Kaydel yet?  She’s Leia’s executive assistant, and she is _lovely_ ,” she continues to babble. 

Rey nods and tries her best to smile, but can’t quite manage it, and after a moment, Rose’s words start to fade and her eyes drift back to the stack of papers on her desk.

That is, until Rose hits her lightly on the shoulder.

“Rey, seriously, why are you still sitting there?” Rose asks, clearly a little affronted at the lack of enthusiasm being given back to her.  “Did you not hear me?  _Mini muffins.  In the breakroom.  Now!_ ”

Apparently ‘mini muffins in the breakroom’ is _a big deal_ for KSO employees, because Rose doesn’t seem to be the only one affected.  All throughout the associates’ pen, people are jumping up from their desks and heading for the breakroom at full speed.

“I can’t, Rose,” Rey says, rubbing her tired eyes.  “I have to keep going.  Our deposition of Mischa Swan is tomorrow.”

“A quick break won’t hurt,” Rose counters, but Rey just shakes her head.

“Go enjoy the muffins.  I’ll catch them next time.”

_Hopefully, if she’s still here._

After Rose leaves, Rey looks over at the stack of newly printed business cards that had arrived at her desk earlier that day, picking one up to examine it.

It has her name on it, and underneath that, her title.

_Rey Jensen_

_Junior Associate_

Sadly, the first thought to enter her head when she had received them was to wonder if they would all end up in the trash before the month is over.  They felt like a cruel joke, a taunting reminder of something that she had for a wonderful fleeting moment, only for it to be torn away from her just a quickly.

Rey absentmindedly traces the _K_ of the firm's logo on her business card - a simple design with _KSO_ embossed in gold lettering within a deep scarlet triangle on a matte black background.

She’s so close, so unbelievably close, and yet every day that passes makes Rey feel further and further away from achieving her objective.

She has taken to giving herself a pep talk on the hour, every hour, in the hopes of spurring herself on and keeping her confidence up, but the moments of doubt keep seeping in despite it all, and she fears that the honest truth is…

She’s gonna lose this one.

And, therefore, _everything_.

She has hit a brick wall, circling the same thought patterns over and over in an infuriating loop that never offers any solutions.

Hux has been as unhelpful as ever, carefully avoiding offering any kind of advice that might contribute to a winning idea.  He spends as little time with her as possible, and Rey is pretty sure he only bothers checking on her once a day to comfort himself that she’s still flailing dismally in the wind.

It makes her long for a supportive mentor type figure – someone who can be straight with her but offer her the advice she needs. 

_Someone like-_

No.

That’s a dangerous road to travel down.

And besides, she’s fine.

She can do this, and do this _alone_ , just like she has done everything else in her life.

She can’t rely on anyone but herself.  She will not be seen as a burden.

And she definitely doesn’t miss _Ben_.

No way.

Not one little bit.

***

Much to his chagrin, Ben finds himself needing to source his own coffee for perhaps the first time in a year. 

Maz is busy attending to Todd – something Ben asked her to do because the muppet still hasn’t submitted the papers Ben gave him yesterday to the court.  It’s just another reason why Ben has spent an embarrassing amount of time this week concocting schemes to steal one of Hux’s beloved tea pots and throw it down the nearest stairwell.

When Ben finally musters up the will to head to the kitchen and fix himself a cup – he’s not going out for it, he has way too much on his plate right now so instant will have to do – he is appalled to find the place swarming with people.

Some of them are even wearing party hats.

Surely wearing party hats in the workplace is grounds for instant dismissal.

He shoves past bunches of the large crowd to find the source of all the inappropriate revelry.

Mini muffins…

_Fucking hell._

It appears to have been instigated by Dameron, because of course _he_ would be responsible for a fiasco like this, and a quick look around tells him pretty much the whole office floor is in attendance, including all the nameless associates that he can vaguely recognise. 

Even _Todd_ is there.

Ben spots him standing not too far away from Maz, who is talking to his mother’s secretary, a young, pretty Omega whose name he can’t quite remember.  He is just about to storm over to Todd and threaten to choke him with a muffin if he tells him those papers still haven’t been filed, when he realises that there is one associate who _isn’t_ there.

_Rey…_

He would have expected her front and centre at an event like this – an event offering _free food_ no less.  Instantly he fears the worst.  After all, only _the worst_ would keep Rey away from sugar, he’s near certain of it.

Ben spots her desk neighbour, the spunky Alpha girl who works under Dameron, and slips through the crowd to her side.

“Where’s Rey?” he asks, ignoring the shocked look on the girl’s face.

“Oh, ah, she’s not here, Mr Solo, Sir,” the girl stumbles out.

“Why not?”

“She- she said she was too busy.”

It’s all Ben needs to confirm his suspicions.  He nods his thanks to the girl and walks off towards the table of mini muffins, leaving her gawking in his wake.

There are barely any left, but he manages to snag three – two chocolate chip and one orange and poppy seed – and heads for the associates’ pen, his coffee cup completely forgotten about on a bench somewhere.

Turning the corner, he spots her immediately, a lone figure amongst a sea of empty desks, hunched over and looking just about ready to tear her hair out.

He has been keeping an eye on her from a distance since she was removed from his care, and as the days have passed, he’s noticed her shoulders slump a little lower each time he sees her.

They are just about touching the floor today.

Without any further delay, he strides across the room to lean against the high partition of her desk so that he is directly facing her.

“You’re looking very serious today, little Omega.”

Rey’s head snaps up from the document she is reading he has to fight hard to bite back a grin at her expression, which _screams_ indignation.

“Would you _please_ stop calling me that!” she hisses, casting a hurried, paranoid glance around the room.  “Someone might hear you.”

“Relax, no one’s around,” he replies with a lazy wave to the empty associates’ pen.  “Besides, you should be nice to me.  I brought you a present.”

She folds her arms and looks up at him from her chair, her pretty hazel eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“What present?”

Ben smiles and whips his arm around, placing the three mini muffins on her desk.

“Mini muffins in the breakroom…” He rolls his eyes a little.  “Apparently it’s a big deal as literally _every_ person is currently in there scavenging for scraps.  Imagine my surprise when I didn’t see _you_ there.”

Rey glares up at him.

“Sorry, I’ve been a little busy,” she says stroppily, her attention returning back to her papers.

“I’ve noticed.” 

He straightens up a little and eyes her carefully. 

“So… how’s the case going?”

“Oh, you know, just _swimmingly_ ,” she grumbles, sarcasm dripping from every word as she starts scribbling more notes on one of the highlighted pages, “considering it was conceived in the fires of hell by the devil himself.”

“Well, at least you’re maintaining a positive attitude,” he quips.

She doesn’t look amused.

Apparently she decides the best course of action is to ignore him, perhaps in the hope that he will get bored and go away. 

He doesn’t, of course, instead tilting his head back to get a better look at her.

She looks tired.  Her typically bright eyes are more dull and lifeless than usual, lacking their usual twinkle and the space between her eyebrows is now home to two sunken lines that speak of weeks of worry.

It stirs a pang in his gut and a gnawing in his head, and the voice pipes up again.

_The little Omega._

_She’s in trouble._

_She needs my help._

Ben swallows.

He can’t help her with the case.  He _knows_ this, knows that if he does, if he butts his nose in and takes over, Snoke and Hux will undoubtedly find out, and Rey’s credibility at KSO will be ruined.  No one would ever respect her, and, if she managed to brave the humiliation and stayed, she would be ridiculed by the other lawyers for the remainder of her time here and labelled as the girl that couldn’t survive on her own.

No, he wouldn’t do that to her.

Besides, he doubts she would even accept the help.  For an Omega, he is constantly surprised by how incredibly stubborn she can be.  As much as his Alpha instincts might be screaming at him to take control of the situation and fix it for her, take away her troubles in the hopes that he can see her smile again, he thinks actually putting that into practise might be a good way to earn a black eye from her little fists of fury.

Yeah, probably not a good idea.

Still…

Perhaps there is something he could do, some other way he could help.  Maybe he could subtly nudge her in the right direction.  Prompt her to find a new angle to pursue. Or, maybe, she could use him as a soundboard, bounce some ideas off him.

If nothing else, she could use a break. Her eyes look ready to fall out of their sockets.  A bit of fresh air certainly couldn’t hurt.

With his mind made up, he taps on the partition of her cubical, drawing her attention once more.

“Let's get out of here; go get some lunch or something.”

“ _Now?_ ” she asks with wide, incredulous eyes.

“Yes, now.  Even brilliant minds like mine need food, and I’m guessing you could use some too given the way you’ve chewed off half your pen.”

“But you just brought me mini muffins.”

“Yeah, well, there are only three,” he replies, sardonically.  “Knowing you, you’ll have polished them off by the time we reach the elevator.” 

She throws him such a dirty look he nearly laughs, but when she still doesn’t get up, he prompts her again, jerking his head in the direction of the exit.

“Come on, a break will be good for you.  Let's go.”

She looks up at him, and he can tell she is tempted.  For a moment, he sees a spark in her eyes, and his gut flips once more, though it’s not painful this time.  Then the glitter of golden light dies and she looks back down to her pile of papers.

“I can’t... I have too much to do.”

He works his jaw, eyeing her intently.  Perhaps he needs a new angle as well.

Ben has never been one to give up easy, and it doesn’t take long before he makes another attempt.

“You know,” he says conspiratorially, leaning in a little closer over the partition of her desk and dropping the volume of his voice to a low whisper, “there’s this little place, not far from here, that makes the most _unbelievable_ sushi.”

Her eyes snap to his again, and he has to reign in a satisfied smirk so as not to spook her. 

“Is that so,” she asks as casually as she can, but he can just about taste victory now.  

“Freshest salmon in the city.”  Rey’s tongue darts out to unconsciously lick her lips and just like that, he knows he’s got her, but then he just can’t help himself, and so he adds, “I assume you are open to expanding your dining repertoire past steak and pilfered potatoes.”

As delicious as it is to tease her about her adorable little fry-stealing antics from the other week, he instantly regrets the jab as her face once again hardens.

“Screw you, and your salmon, and your fries.  I have rice crackers in my bag that will taste a whole lot better than your fancy sushi, provided I can eat them without having to look at your face.”

“Actually, I have been told my presence only enhances a dining experience,” he shoots back with a smirk.

Rey snorts derisively, but doesn’t reply, and her attention once again reverts back to her work, making his left eye twitch.

He’s not getting anywhere fast.  She’s completely ignoring him now, so he straightens himself from his hunched position over her desk and sighs.

“Well, I’m going there, I need to eat…” 

The sentence hangs like an open invitation.  She doesn’t give any visible indication that she has heard him, but he notices that her eyes have been glued to the same paragraph since he got here.

She needs a break, and the stubborn little thing had been ready to cave until he hadn’t known when to shut up. 

Damn his infernal ego.

Nothing ever seemed to clam her up quicker than a display of arrogance.  He knows this, and yet, he never seems to learn. 

Beyond frustrated with himself, he starts to turn away, but out of the corner of his eye he sees Rey’s shoulders slump a little lower, and so he tries one last time.

“It would... please me... to have company.”

He’s not even entirely sure why he says it, where the words come from. But now that they're out, he knows, just _knows_ , deep down in his gut, that they are the answer to this equation.

He knows, because something _happens_.

Her eyes meet his, and her pupils blow, and there is a sudden spike in her scent that his eager nose picks up on. 

A burst of feminine sweetness, so overwhelming, so entrancing, so completely captivating it just about short-circuits his brain function.

It’s over as quickly as it began.

Rey swallows hard and shakes her head so minutely that he wouldn’t have noticed except that every fibre of his being is currently trained on her.

Then she rolls her eyes and lets out a long suffering sigh.

“ _Fine_ , I guess I could take a quick break… But I need to be back in an hour.”

As she quickly grabs her purse and lets him lead her to the elevator, he comforts himself that the warm, fuzzy feeling spreading through his chest is purely a delicious buzz from the pleasure of winning – addictive as it is.  It definitely has nothing to do with appeasing some kind of primal, instinctual need to take care of her.

That would just be _pathetic_.

And stupid.

And, even worse; selfless.

And Ben Solo is _anything_ but that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but seriously, how great are mini muffins!
> 
> Up next: Ben and Rey have another lunchtime chat. Heat talk ensues.
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping will happen next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	9. Sacrilege

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey have another lunchtime chat. Heat talk ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone! 
> 
> A massive thank you to Rebecca ([LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism)) for all her help betaing this chapter for me! I wouldn’t have got it finished in time to post today without her!
> 
> See recurring disclaimer about my complete inaptitude when it comes to any legal stuff. Take pity on me please!
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Standing in front of the tiny, run down restaurant with its shattered glass door and half-lit neon sign, Rey cannot believe that Ben would ever have deigned to eat here in the first place, let alone praise it so highly for the whole ten minutes it took to walk over.

He looks ridiculously out of place in his expensive suit as he takes a seat on a plastic chair that wobbles from having one leg shorter than the others, but he doesn’t bat an eyelid, merely accepting the proffered menu from the teenage waitress with a quick word of thanks.

Behind his head, Rey sees the same plastic menu plastered on the wall with adhesive tape. One side has come unstuck, and the whole thing flutters in the wind every time the door opens, seemingly moments away from falling to the floor.

“Have you eaten sushi before?”

Rey’s eyes snap back to Ben, who is watching her with unbridled curiosity over his menu. Rey opens her own menu and buries her head behind it as she mumbles, “Not really.”

For some reason, she doubts Ben would count the chicken sushi she bought at the gas station that one desperate evening as being “real” sushi.

“That’s okay. If you don’t have any objections, I might just order a few different things for us to share.  Seeing as you’ll end up stealing my food anyway, we may as well just cut to the chase.”

Rey gives him her most withering stare but he just smirks back.

She’s _never_ going to live the fry incident down.

“Any preferences?” he asks her as she runs her eyes over the menu.

There aren’t any pictures, and she has no idea what anything is, the words completely unfamiliar to her, aside from the odd mention of _Salmon_ or _Chicken_ or _Tuna_.

“Something cooked, please. And nothing with spiders in it,” she finishes, wrinkling her nose at one of the dishes listed under _Uramaki_.

He arches a brow at her.

“A _Spider Roll_ isn’t made with spiders… it’s soft shell crab.”

“I don’t want to eat crab shell either,” she counters stubbornly, jutting out her chin.

He rolls his eyes and bites back a smile.

“Well, I was planning on ordering that one for myself. It happens to be one of my favourites.”

“Perfect,” she shoots back. “You won’t have to worry about me stealing any, then.”

When the young girl comes back to take their orders, Ben requests the innocuous Spider Roll, along with Salmon Aburi, the Assorted Sushi Tasting Plate, Assorted Sashimi and Tempura Vegetables. She can’t be sure, but it sounds like way too much food for just two people, and Rey doesn’t know if she should feel slightly offended that he is probably afraid of going hungry while she’s around or grateful that she will get to try a bit of everything.

“So…” Ben starts once they are alone again, “do you want to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” she asks coyly, knowing full well what _it_ is.  Ben continues to survey her blandly.

“Your first ever lawsuit, of course. You know, the one forged in the deepest levels of hell by demons and goblins, or whatever you implied earlier.”

She glares at his word choice, before finding she just doesn’t have the energy to keep up the charade any longer and ends up slumping further down into her chair.

“Rose thinks it's an unwinnable case,” Rey mutters miserably.

Ben snorts.

“It's that kind of defeatist attitude that makes Dameron and his team second best.”

“I think it’s more realism than pessimism.”

He gives her a stern look.

“Rey, there is no such thing as an unwinnable case. As soon as you start thinking like that, you've already lost.”

“You don’t understand, Ben!” she exclaims suddenly, unable to hold in her frustration any longer. “He did it, and they have proof of it.  He fired that poor girl purely because she was an Omega doing something that Omegas are biologically programmed to do. My client is a total pig.”

“So what, did you think you were only going to be defending puppy dogs and kittens?”

“Of course not, but-”

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, Rey, but most of the people we have to defend aren’t innocent little angels. If they were, they wouldn’t be sued in the first place.”

“Thank you, I get that,” she retorts through gritted teeth.

“There’s no such thing as an easy case. Every situation comes with its own problems.  Your job is to work through them and find the winning angle.”

“I know!”

“Then I really don’t understand the problem.”

Rey let's out a frustrated huff and fiddles with the wooden block that marks their table number.

“Forgive me for being uneasy about having to represent a man that would have wilfully fired me if I was in this girl’s shoes, purely for something I was born with. I mean really, how can you sleep at night knowing you defend assholes like him?”

“With ease. Because it's my job,” he says levelly, looking her dead in the eye. “That’s what this job is, Rey.  If you thought the only people you’d be defending are saints that do everything by the book, then you’re in for a bit of a shock.  Sometimes, your clients are going to be shitty people.  Sometimes they’ll lie, sometimes they’ll do things you don’t agree with, and sometimes they’ll do something stupid that makes your job ten times harder.  It’s all part of the job, _this_ job, the one _you_ signed up for, the one you _begged_ me for.”

“I didn’t beg,” she grumbles petulantly, but he ignores her.

“You’re a lawyer, Rey, not the morality police – your job is to defend your client to the best of your ability. Your job is to _win_.”

She tries her hardest to swallow down the growing lump in her throat, but nothing seems to dislodge it. Finally, quietly she replies.

“I’m not sure I can…”

And he’s eyeing her with that look again, the one that speaks of concern, of pity. It’s unbearable, and she has to look away, so she looks back down to her hands that are still fumbling with the little wooden table number, rocking it back and forth on the flimsy plywood table.

She is flicking idly at a stray splinter with the short nail of her index finger, when a hand suddenly covers hers.

A large hand, with long, thick fingers that have a palpable strength to them.

_His hand._

Her breath catches in her throat and her wide eyes dart back to his.

“Come on, Rey. You can do this, I know you can and so do you.  I wouldn’t have hired you if I thought you couldn’t.”

She wills herself to keep breathing, in and out, as their eyes remain locked together, hers desperately searching for something in his. The sincerity she finds overflowing from them makes her tremble, and slowly, unsteadily, she shakily gives him a little nod.

His dark, piercing eyes study her intently, seeming to penetrate through to her very soul. He’s looking for something too, she realises distantly, though what that is, she can’t be sure.  All she can be sure of right now is that his hand is still holding hers, the soft pad of his thumb running along her knuckles in small yet firm strokes that make her tingle.

As they sit in the silence, Rey gradually feels her body relax and her breathing slow. The overwhelming anxiety that had momentarily crippled her and robbed her of all rationality seems to have subsided, and she feels more like herself again, like Rey Jensen - the girl with the plan, the girl in control, the girl determined to achieve her goals, no matter what cost.

Ben must find what he is after too, because he finally returns her nod with one of his own and drops his gaze to the table where his hand rests firmly atop hers.

It’s like he’s only just noticed what he’s doing, like his hand had been acting of its own volition somehow, stealthily hiding its actions from its master, but she can pinpoint the exact moment his brain catches up.

Quick as a flash, Ben’s offending hand whips out of her grasp and back to his side, and he looks evidently put off by the whole thing, which she finds particularly unfair.

It’s not as though _she’d_ grabbed _his_ hand; she hadn’t had any say in the matter.  In fact, if anyone here should be complaining, it should probably be her. 

“Well… good,” he says gruffly and clears his throat. “I’m glad we cleared that up.”

“Yeah,” she returns, her own voice sounding raw and raspy as if from disuse. She withdraws her hand from the table too, tucking both of them firmly on her lap where they can’t cause any further trouble.

An awkward silence settles over them, and Rey is contemplating abandoning the promise of exceptional salmon and just bolting for the door, when she witnesses her first real life miracle and the waitress appears with the first plates of their order. It is a welcome distraction, and at this point she would happily seize just about any opportunity to sidestep… well, whatever the hell _that_ had been.

Rey doesn’t know what anything is, which luckily gives her an easy way to change the subject, and before long Ben is explaining the difference between sushi, sashimi and nigiri.

Despite having previously promised herself that she wouldn’t touch any uncooked fish during this little excursion, Rey finds the sashimi too tempting to pass up, and before long she has ranked them in her order of preference, with salmon in the lead, followed closely by tuna and the scallop closing up the rear. After a short and miserable attempt at utilising the chopsticks, she abandons them in favour of her hands and dares Ben to make fun of her with a contemptuous stare, but he just bites back a smile and helps himself to another piece of salmon aburi.

Once things have settled, she feels it is safe to return to work related subjects.

“Have you met him – Ziro Tiure?” she asks in between mouthfuls of tempura battered zucchini.

“Once or twice. We do quite a bit of work for the Hutt Group, but I usually deal with the CEO, Jabba.”

“Is he as bad as his upper management?”

Ben ponders the question for a moment.

“I’d like to say no, but truthfully he’s probably just better at covering his tracks.”

Rey scoffs loudly.

“Well, given the behaviour I witnessed in our meeting the other day, I’d say wrongful termination is just the tip of Ziro’s iceberg. I don’t think the guy discriminates when it comes to harassment; just designations.”

“Men like him normally don’t,” Ben shrugs.

“I just keep thinking about the poor woman,” Rey continues, absentmindedly swiping something that looks like inverted sushi with what she presumes is squid. “Not only did she have to put up with her creep of a boss, but she also had to deal with the constant, recurring horrors of heats, and then to add insult to injury, is fired because of it.”

“Yes, it’s all very unjust,” Ben concurs wryly, “but I wouldn’t trouble yourself too hard over there, little Omega. Heat leave with a partner is not so bad, trust me.”

Her eyes snap back to his and narrow doubtfully.

“What would you know about it - I thought you said you didn’t do… well, _that_ …”

He just shrugs.

“I don’t... anymore.”

“Anymore?”

“No.”

She blinks at him with wide eyes until he elaborates.

“In my opinion, heat sex is best left to Alphas younger and more foolish than I. The ones that don’t know any better.”

Her mouth twitches.

“But… you’ve done it before, then? You've… seen an Omega through heat?”

She tries her best not to look to curious. Because she is – curious.  It’s burning inside her, but she’d rather he doesn’t know that.

Ben shrugs, not appearing offended by the question.

 “Of course I have, but not for a long time. The concept doesn't really appeal to me.”

“The...  _concept_?”

“Well, as I’m sure you know, heats come with their own particular set of… requirements. An Alpha’s duty isn’t just to offer pleasure, there are other things they need to do to soothe their Omega… you know how it is.”

_No, she really doesn’t._

“Yeah, totally...”

His eyes dance as he surveys her from across the table, shining with something all-knowing.

“Yes, well, that kind of obligation requires a certain level of trust and commitment, unless of course, you want to forever be at health clinics getting tested.”

She nods slowly, piecing it all together in her mind as a piece of tuna sashimi dangles from her fingertips, long forgotten.

Rey isn’t daft, and she isn’t completely innocent. Yes, she might not have _hands on_ experience with the subject, but she’s sat through years of sex education, she’s watched the videos that clinically explain an Omega’s needs during their heats, the biological impulses that drives them into that state, and the only thing that can satiate the fire once it begins to burn.

_An Alpha’s seed._

She gulps hard at the mere thought.

It had always been such a foreign concept for her. Something ambiguous and theoretical that she might read about in a science textbook.

But right now, in this little hole in the wall that apparently serves the city’s best sushi, Rey is inches away from an Alpha - a strong, virile, handsome Alpha - and suddenly the vague notion comes careening into the real, into the tangible.

Rey squirms in her seat, heat flushing her skin as she is overcome by an uncomfortable, foreign sensation in the pit of her stomach, and she wonders if perhaps the salmon isn’t as fresh as Ben had claimed.

Apparently along with the instant fever she’s contracted, she’s also lost control of her motor functions, because she realises her mouth is gaped open in what is surely an unattractive impression of a goldfish.

She snaps her mouth shut, hoping desperately that it wasn’t gaped open for too long and that he didn’t notice, although the small smirk forming at the corner of his full mouth diminishes her optimism considerably.

“So, you understand, then. I’m wise enough to know I can’t have it all, and so I made my choice and live by it.  Therefore, I don’t do heats, I don’t knot and I _always_ use protection.  With my lifestyle, heat abstention is the only smart course of action.”

“Right…” she trails off. It all sounds so strange; she’d never heard an Alpha speak about heat sex with anything other than with the most avid eagerness.  “So heats don’t appeal to you then, like they do other Alphas?”

She hates herself the instant the question tumbles from her mouth, but it’s too late to take it back now, and Ben…

Ben is grinning like the devil again.

“Being literally tied and trapped to a woman for a prolonged period of time with no means of escape isn't exactly my idea of a good time, Rey.”

She feels herself flush at the insinuation and the vivid image that swims to the forefront of her mind.

“No, heaven forbid you're unable to get out of there before the sheets dry,” she replies sarcastically once she has recovered.

“Pretty much.”

She huffs out an exasperated, humourless laugh.

“God, you are _such_ a jerk.”

“Thank you,” he replies with a smirk, and she shakes her head at him in disbelief.

“Do girls know what they're getting into when they sleep with you?”

He leans back lazily in his chair and examines his nail beds.

“I don’t see why not. I'm not the type to make false promises. I pride myself on honesty.”

“Oh, how _noble_ of you.”

She finds herself glaring at him for the millionth time that day, but Ben just laughs.

“Well, we can’t all be as noble as the virtuous _Rey Jensen_.”

“I am not _virtuous_ ,” she counters snippily.  “I just happen to be a decent human being, unlike everyone else at this firm apparently.”

“Everyone else just has their eyes on the prize. They care more about winning than hurting people’s feelings.  As I said in your interview, your precious compassion will only hinder you in a place like this.”

“There is nothing wrong with a bit of common decency,” Rey argues. “That shouldn’t stop me from succeeding.”

“And yet, it is.”

Rey’s brows furrow in confusion as she looks at him.

“What are you talking about?”

Ben returns her stare, his dark eyes sharp and unblinking.

“You know what you have to do to win. You know what to do - you just don’t want to do it.”

“I don’t-”

“You do,” he interjects with vehemence. “Their case isn’t ironclad.  They have a weakness, you know they do.  Tell me what it is.”

Rey’s mind races, but she knows where this is heading, and she swallows uncomfortably before replying.

“The Omega stigma.”

“That’s right,” he nods.

She shakes her head.

“I can’t do that. I won’t betray my own kind.”

He moves so swiftly she barely sees it, but suddenly Ben is leaning forward over the table, all broad shoulders and dark intensity.

“Stop making this into something it isn't. This isn't a history making crusade, this isn’t Omegas versus the world - this is just one person suing a company for _a lot_ of money – more money than the average person could ever spend in a lifetime.  You represent the _company_ , a company that employs thousands of people, allowing those people to provide for their families.  Cases like these can cripple companies, they can result in job loss, wariness to engage.  Stop worrying about the Omega plaintiff – she has her own representation.  Your job is to represent _your_ client and do your best to protect them.  Right now, you have a gun pointed at your head, but you have your own pistol in your back pocket; you’re just too scared to pull it out and make this a proper fight.”

Rey squints her eyes shut, willing away his argument.

“It doesn’t feel right.”

“Well, sometimes you need to get a little dirty to do the right thing. Like it or not, if this goes to trial, you’d likely have people in the jury who disagree with the newer changes to Omega rights, heat leave in particular.  You don’t have to agree with them, but you can still use that mere fact to your advantage.  Her lawyer will know that’s a possibility.  If you can scare him enough with the idea, you should be able to broker a lower settlement deal.”

He’s right, of course – not in the moral sense, but in a strategic sense, and if cutting down the settlement would get her out of this predicament with her job still intact, she might dare to consider it. But of course, ultimately, even if she gets the deal cut down by ninety-nine percent, it won’t help her here.

Hux had said _zero_ \- not a single cent.

“I can’t settle,” she murmurs in a small voice. “I need them to drop the case entirely.”

Predictably, Ben looks at her like she’s grown an extra head.

“What? _Why_? A dramatically reduced settlement would be an exceptional outcome here.”

Again, she can’t argue with that. But Snoke has demanded more.

“Yes, I know, but-”

“ _But_...? But what?” he demands, eyes narrowed in incredulity.

“A settlement isn't enough.”

“Enough for what?”

“ _Enough for me_ ,” Rey cries in frustration.  God, why must he push and push on this point?  “I don’t want to settle.  I want to win.”

“A settlement like that would be a win for a case like this,” he says, and she knows he’s being reasonable, way more reasonable that she probably sounds right now. But she’s been sworn to secrecy, so there isn’t much else to do but cross her arms and obstinately refute the fact.

“Not to me.”

He examines her critically for a long moment.

“Are you sure you're not an Alpha? You certainly have the stubbornness of one.”

Rey rolls her eyes and sinks a little in her chair as he continues.

“I don’t get you, Rey. You say you want to win, that settling isn’t enough, yet you balk at the mere idea of having to use the woman's designation against her.”

“You don’t understand. I looked into her, I tried to find something that would prove her to be disreputable, but she’s squeaky clean.  Just a nice girl that got screwed over by a disgusting pig.”

“Don’t be so naïve, Rey. No one’s perfect; not even this girl.  Everyone has their dirty little secrets.  Perhaps she touches herself after church on Sundays.”

She throws him the dirtiest look she can muster, and watches as he bites back a smile, before growing serious once more.

“I bet you have some secrets, Rey.”

He says it quietly, and she absently notes that whenever he speaks in those hushed tones his voice seems lower, deeper. It makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, and it’s all she can do to school her face into an outward presentation of calmness.

“What makes you say that?”

Those dark eyes of his are piercing through her again in that way they do as he swirls his water glass in his hand.

“Just a feeling.”

Rey’s breath hitches in her throat, but she won’t look away.

“I should get back. I have work to do.”

He doesn’t move, just continues to bore into her as if every inch of her is laid bare for him to discover. Thankfully, the waitress comes to clear their empty plates, and he asks for the cheque, though his eyes still never leave hers.

He doesn’t speak until after he’s paid for their meal and they are making to leave. She tries to skip out of there before him, a bit of space is just what she needs, but he always seems to be faster – perhaps it’s an Alpha thing – and before she can slip through the door, his large hand is planted against it.

And god, he’s so tall standing next to her like that, standing so close, Alpha pheromones radiating off him and all she can do is stand there and bask in the scent and try not to drown in it.

Her vision blurs, and she has to refocus on him as he leans down to speak.

“Don’t be a fool, Rey. Don’t let your preconceived notions blind you to the truth.”  He pauses to give her one last, long look, before adding, “Play the stigma.  It’s your best bet.  It's what I would do.”

And with that, he pushes the door open and strides off into the street, leaving her trailing in his wake, more unsettled than ever before.

***

Rey spends the rest of the day contemplating the dilemma before her, and by the time the sun is long gone and she packs up to go home, she’s still unsure about what to do in the deposition tomorrow.

She knows that using Mischa Swan’s Omega designation against her would be the smart thing to do, but she still can’t help but feel the wrongness of it all. She doesn’t know the girl, but by all accounts she didn’t deserve what happened to her, and Rey’s conscience is having a tough time reconciling her responsibility to her client with the potential of causing the poor Omega more suffering from something she simply can’t help.

She could understand the frustration that other designations might feel regarding Omega rights. Sure, the way they probably saw it, Omegas were being paid to enjoy week long romantic holidays with devoted partners, and continuously having to cover their workloads was bound to inspire some resentment from Betas in particular, who could have no concept of the inconvenience, awkwardness and discomfort they could cause, not to mention the agony when they weren’t properly attended to.

The problem is, she has already exhausted all her other options, and with the evidence stacked so firmly in the other side’s favour, Rey can’t see another avenue to travel down if she actually wants to win the case and have a chance at keeping her job and continuing her mission.

Ben’s words continue to haunt her into the night, his words regarding everyone having secrets, and as she lies awake waiting for sleep to claim her, she can’t help but wonder if she missed something.

And worse still, Rey can’t help but wonder if that insinuation had actually been meant for _her_.

She feels her heart racing in her chest from the anxiety of being discovered, and quickly comforts herself that he was probably just hinting at her being a secret Omega.

Even so, the way he looks at her sometimes makes her wonder…

It really would be much easier if he wasn’t so sharp.

But, alas, he is, so she just needs to keep her guard up.

Despite his cleverness, the callousness he shows sometimes baffles her. She could tell he didn’t personally buy into half the bullshit that Snoke, Hux and the others perpetrated, and yet he didn’t seem to fight it either.  It could be completely infuriating.

But Ben was right about one thing at least - _her_ job right now is to represent Hutt Group.  If she can’t do that, well then maybe she really doesn’t deserve this job.

It is with a heavy heart that Rey cycles into the city and rides the elevator up to the KSO office the next morning, feeling as though she is about to sell her soul to the devil himself.

Conference Room C is empty when she arrives, and she sets up for the deposition in silence, her heart thundering in her chest all the while.

Hux and Ziro are the first to join her, and at precisely nine o’clock, Miss Swan and her lawyer enter, steely faced and impatient.

The woman looks just as pretty as in her picture from the dossier, a sight to behold with her golden blonde hair and angelic blue eyes, although much less friendly, but Rey supposes that is to be expected.   Her lawyer, with his stiff upper lip, also shows no signs of weakness.

They sit across the table from her, unsmiling, and for the first time Rey realises that despite the comradery she may have felt with the abstract idea of _The Omega - Miss Swan_ , the real Mischa Swan shares none of those sentiments. To her, Rey is the lawyer representing her former creep of a boss, nothing more.

And with that realisation, just like that, something comes over Rey.

She has a job to do.

Rey presses the record button on the camera pointed at her opposition, before beginning.

“Miss Swan, is it true that you were originally employed by Mr Tiure as a tax accountant two years prior to your termination?”

“It is.”

“And over the course of those two years, would you consider yourself a good performer?”

“I would,” she replies, “I always received positive feedback on my performance reviews and was even promoted to a team lead position.”

“And what new responsibilities came with your promotion to team leader?”

“It was largely the same role, but with several of the junior accounts reporting to me on a day to day basis.”

Rey braces herself. This is the opening she had been hoping for.  If she is going to go in for the kill… 

It’s now or never.

“But Miss Swan, how could these junior accountants report to you on a daily basis if you were away on heat leave for a quarter of the time?”

Mischa Swan purses her lips at the question, but her lawyer interjects before she can say anything.

“Objection; relevance.”

“Forgive me,” Rey counters sharply, “but I think it is extremely relevant. You are arguing that she was wrongfully dismissed despite her perfect performance, but that’s clearly not the case if Miss Swan wasn’t able to perform a vital part of her role.”

“It’s not my fault I had to take heat leave,” Miss Swan cuts in, waving aside her lawyer’s instructions to remain silent. “As an Omega, I don’t have a choice.”

Rey, of course, knows this to be true. But she isn’t this girl’s friend, and right now, she isn’t an Omega either. 

She’s a lawyer.

So she barrels forward relentlessly.

“No, you don’t have any choice but to stay at home and get paid while people of other designations pick up the pieces you leave behind. Do you think it is fair that others around you - your peers and subordinates - have to suffer, put in extra hours on top of already full schedules to cover for you whilst you get to take copious amounts of time off to satisfy your personal whims?”

“That’s not how heats work, Alpha,” Miss Swan hisses, her pretty face mangled with rage.

Rage directed at Rey.

And Rey falters.

But Miss Swan’s not finished.

“No one ever understands what it is like for an Omega. If we had any say in the matter, I can guarantee we wouldn’t choose to be ruled by our bodies on a regular basis.  I would much rather be at work than be a slave to my biology, but unfortunately for Omegas, choice is a luxury we aren’t afforded, something you would never understand.”

She throws Rey a look of complete disgust, and Rey knows she deserves it, plus so much more.

Because it could be her sitting in that seat, her being discriminated against, humiliated for her body’s natural urges.

And Rey…

Rey isn’t just a lawyer. She is an Omega.  And she should know better.

It’s as if she is suddenly coming back to herself, and with her reawakening comes intense horror. The shame that floods through her is palpable, and she can hear the blood pulsing and throbbing in her ears.

She’d been so caught up in trying to win that she had abandoned all her principles. She had taken the low road and crucified the poor girl for her designation, and it left her feeling like the scum of the earth.

She is no better than Hux. Than Ziro.

She is no better than _Snoke_.

Rey blanches.

With her nerves scattered, Rey wraps up the deposition with haste. Once Miss Swan and her lawyer have departed with several choice words, Rey ignores Hux’s admonishments that she can hear distantly in the background and rushes out the door, bolting to the bathroom.

She turns the tap on full bore, the water spitting up and running down the drain as she splashes her face with the cold liquid, desperately willing away the whole conversation that keeps running through her head on repeat.

When she looks up, there is a face that so much resembles her looking back at her through the mirror, but she doesn’t know this girl.

This girl isn’t the girl she ever wanted to be.

This girl, with the tired, sad eyes and ashen skin.

This girl forgot who she was and became a monster.

The door to the stall behind her swings open, and to Rey’s immense horror, Mischa Swan steps out.

When her gaze lands on Rey, her whole body stiffens, and she looks at Rey like something she might have picked off her shoe. Silently, she places her handbag on the counter and soaps up her hands, all the while Rey reminds herself to keep breathing.

Rey knows she should leave it be. She shouldn’t be talking to the other woman without her lawyer present.  But right now, she’s not a lawyer and Mischa isn’t a plaintiff.  They are just two Omegas, constantly knocked about in the society they live in, and Rey can’t let it go.

“Miss Swan, I’m sorry,” she starts meekly, “I didn’t mean-”

“How _dare_ you?” Mischa seethes. “I don’t want your apology.  It’s animals like you that give my people a bad name.  You should be ashamed.”

Rey isn’t sure exactly what she was about to say next, whether she was going to agree with her, confess that she is ashamed or reiterate how terrible she feels. She never gets a chance to say anything, because as she turns to Mischa to speak, she accidentally sends the poor woman’s bag flying, and it falls to the floor as her things tumble out.

As if Mischa wasn’t mad enough.

The woman bends to retrieve her things, and Rey falls to her knees beside her, helping her collect her keys, wallet, perfume and lipstick whilst continually muttering how sorry she is.

Mischa doesn’t reply, instead snatching the bag and her things out of Rey’s grasp as though desperate to keep the “awful Alpha lawyer” as far away from her possessions as possible, lest she infect her with her evilness.

It’s not until long after Mischa has gone, the door slamming shut behind her that Rey, still on her hands and knees on the bathroom floor, is struck by something.

It’s distant, fleeting, and she has to scramble to catch it as it dances on the periphery of her subconscious, but then…

Something clicks in her head. _Something_ …

Rey jumps to her feet, washes her hands and hightails it out of there, not wanting to waste another second.

She can’t. She’s wasted enough time.  She can’t afford to lose any more now.

Not when there might be a way she can actually win this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, what has Rey figured out...? Feel free to submit your guesses below, I love reading them!
> 
> Up next: Rey works a new angle for her case.
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping will happen next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	10. How You Like Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey makes her move and watches the chips fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone! 
> 
> So… I have been very, very bad…
> 
> I am SO SORRY it has taken me so long to update this fic!  Life has been hectic and on top of that I got a little distracted with a new story I am writing for the Winter Fic Exchange – [Deck the Halls (Not the Boss’s Son)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16956579/chapters/39847815).  Basically, Rey goes to Christmas dinner at her boss Leia's house and learns she has a son, Ben Solo, except that she knows him as Kylo Ren and had a torrid secret affair with him on the campaign trail six months prior - Christmas dinner shenanigans and sexy flashbacks ensue. Two out of five chapters are up, so feel free to check it out if that interests you :D
> 
> Also, have a new mood board for your patience!
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by The Heavy (total boss song, by the way!).

It takes Rey a full week to validate her new theory, but once the realisation blooms in her head, the rest comes together fairly quickly.  After plenty of grumbling and questioning, Hux gives Rey the name of the firm’s private investigator, and Rey immediately gets in touch with Phasma and enlists her help to prove her burgeoning theory correct.

It doesn’t take long, only a few days for Phasma to come up with the goods, and Rey knows what she needs to do next.

_Finish the job._

She arranges a meeting with Mischa Swan and her lawyer, Philip Bosworth for Friday at the KSO offices, and spends the rest of the time in between preparing her attack.

When the pair saunter into Conference Room B on Friday morning looking as confident as ever, Rey can’t help but feel a grim sense of satisfaction.  For once, this Omega is the hunter, and they are the prey.  She doesn’t think she’s ever felt more like the Alpha she’s pretending to be than in this moment.

Hux is also there, sat alongside her client with a scowl because she hadn’t bothered to fill him in on her strategy or reasoning behind calling the meeting, and part of her is also relishing the prospect of witnessing his reaction when she reveals her findings. 

“I think we all know we have an ironclad case here, so in the interest of saving us all some time, I’m going to make a suggestion,” Mr Bosworth begins with an arrogance that Rey has become very familiar with during her short time at KSO. “How about we skip the part where you throw us a lowball offer and we reject it and just jump straight to the serious numbers?”

“That sounds like a great idea, Mr Bosworth,” Rey replies.  “There’s no point in prolonging this meeting with wearisome back and forths, so let’s get straight to our best offer.”

“Excellent, let’s hear it then.”

Planting a pretty smile on her face, Rey makes her first move.

“Hutt Construction would very generously like to offer you one final chance to drop this case.”

Four pairs of flabbergasted eyes stare back at her, and Rey is sure that only Hux’s rigorous training on keeping his cool in front of the opposition is keeping him from getting to his feet and throttling her.  It only makes her smile wider.

Mr Bosworth is the first to regain his voice.

“What do you think you’re playing at, Miss Jensen?  I thought we were here to talk settlement offers?”

“Well, we are… in the sense that there won’t actually be one,” she replies with a laugh before shaking her head and continuing. “Silly me – perhaps I didn’t communicate that clearly on the phone.”

“Come on, Mischa.  We’re leaving,” Mr Bosworth says, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket.  “We’ll see you in court.”

“For the good of your client, I would strongly suggest you stay.  She might be interested to know how much she will be out of pocket when she inevitably loses her case.”

The both freeze where they stand, the lawyer looking bemused while Miss Swan suddenly seems apprehensive.

Rey takes their silence as an opportunity to continue.

“When we win in court, we will obviously be needing you to reimburse the court fees.  I would think this would be the least of your worries, as the trial will be over almost instantly.  However, in addition to this, we will be countersuing for two years’ worth of unauthorised heat leave.”

“ _Excuse me_?” Philip Bosworth exclaims with widened eyes, but Rey continues on unperturbed.

“My client will also be looking to recover the cost of their legal fees, and trust me, we don’t come cheap.  And then, of course, there is a defamation countersuit to consider…”

“What’s your game?” Mr Bosworth interjects furiously, his face nearly as red as Hux’s.  “Throw your weight around and threaten to bury us in legal fees?  You could try, but perhaps your client would be keen to avoid the negative publicity that would result in word getting out that the great Hutt Group would employ such devious, immoral measures against an innocent Omega who has already been wronged.”

Rey takes a deep breath and goes in for the kill.

“Actually, I think the press would be vastly more interested to learn that the ‘innocent Omega’ who is suing the Hutt Group for wrongful termination on the basis of their designation is actually a Beta.”

Dead silence falls over the room and it’s all she had hoped it would be.  She taps her fingers on the table as she takes them in, one by one. 

Hux; staring at her like she’s grown a second head. Ziro; looking like an insipid troll that has been slugged on the head with a baseball bat.  Mr Bosworth; who - if she didn’t know better - might be trying to solve a very complicated algebraic equation in his head without a calculator.  And finally Miss Mischa Swan, the Omega imposter, whose face has been completely drained of all colour, so much so that she matches the stack of papers in front of Rey.

It’s just as glorious as she’d imagined, and perhaps for the first time since starting at KSO, Rey is so glad she decided to become a lawyer.

Once again, Mr Bosworth recovers first.

“Jesus, Hux!” he exclaims.  “Is this what KSO has become?  A company so desperate to win that your young mavericks will throw baseless, slanderous accusations at the wall and see what sticks?”

Hux looks ready to head into damage control, but Rey cuts him off.

“These aren’t baseless accusations.  I fear your client hasn’t been honest with you, Mr Bosworth.  Perhaps you should check with her before you question my methods any further.”

He looks over at his client who refuses to meet his eyes and the guilt etched on her face only backs up Rey’s words and confirms her theory that Mischa had kept her lawyer in the dark as to the truth.

“ _Mischa_?” her lawyer questions urgently, but the woman doesn’t reply.

“There’s no need to deny it, Miss Swan,” Rey continues.  “Our private investigator has undeniable proof of your true designation and that you have been falsifying your doctor’s notes for your supposed heats.  We were very interested to learn that the doctor listed on your notes is also your brother-in-law, and he grew quite concerned when it became evident your little scam might leave him in as much trouble as you.”

Despite his natural astonishment, she can feel with no small level of triumph how impressed Hux is from where he sits beside her.  He is a man that loves the kill as much as anyone, and she just knows that despite what this means for Ben and his promotion, Hux will savour this win too.

Mischa’s bright blue eyes snap to hers, swimming with unshed tears, but Rey can’t bring herself to feel much sympathy for her. 

“I didn’t- I didn’t mean to… I just wanted to be special,” she murmurs so faintly Rey can barely hear her, except she does, and she wonders cynically if she’d still think it was so special if she had to actually experience being stuck in the throes of a heat without any relief, or be physically compelled to do things she didn’t want to do by others.

For her part, Rey can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to be an Omega.  Being an Omega doesn’t make you special, it makes you easy prey, weakened by biology. It is the perfect recipe for humiliation.

In the end, she doesn’t need to reply, because everything quickly devolves into utter chaos.  Ziro starts shouting at Mischa, and then Mr Bosworth is yelling at Hux to get his client under control, and before long the room is filled with raised voices and hostilities and accusations are flying and Rey just sits there, basking in the glow of her victory. 

And then, then she looks up, and through the transparent glass walls of the boardroom…

She sees Ben.

He must have been observing the scene from the hall, leaning up against a partition wall with his hands in his pockets, and the look in his eye causes her belly to somersault.

The dark, burning intensity she finds there in his dilated pupils is almost overwhelming, and her breath catches as the little voice in her head starts humming.

_The Alpha.  The big, strong Alpha.  He’s watching you.  He looks pleased._

And try as hard as she might to be cool, she’s helpless to do anything to contain the smile growing on her face. 

A secret smile.  Just for him.

***

"How did you figure it out?"

Rey continues to wash her hands in the sink, not bothering to turn round.  She can see Mischa standing behind her through the reflection in the mirror, and really, she doesn’t feel like she owes this woman any answers.

"You really shouldn't be talking to me without your lawyer present," Rey replies, although she doubts Mr Bosworth is still willing to represent Mischa after the debacle in the conference room.

"Just tell me," Mischa snipes, before apparently thinking better of it and adding a reluctant " _please_."

Rey rolls her eyes as she reaches for a paper towel.

"The contents of your bag was what first tipped me off.  No suppressants – unusual for an Omega.  Then I recognized your pheromone spray, _Omegessence_.  You were smart to remove the label, but I recognised the bottle.  I know what it does."

Rey doesn’t mention she remembers it from all her years trolling through the designation masking scents website, whereby each and every scent had been committed to memory with one look.

She also doesn’t mention the way she’d felt when she’d been told off by her.  No Omega could have such a natural dominance over another, particularly one posing as an Alpha.

She takes another long look at the woman – a woman she had felt so akin to at one point – and her curiosity gets the best of her.

"Why did you do it?" she asks. 

It is a question Phasma hadn’t been able to answer for her, and it had been driving her crazy. 

Mischa suddenly looks especially bitter and Rey doesn’t think she’s going to answer her, but then, after a moment, she responds.

"My boyfriend works with an Omega.  A pretty, meek and mild little thing.  She keeps sending him into rut.  Everyone kept saying he was going to leave me, so I thought if I could just be there, if I could see him through each rut… then maybe it would be okay."

Mischa lets out a humourless laugh and throws Rey a dirty look. 

“I should have known,” she continues, her scowl growing as she glares at Rey.  “You Alphas can never stay away from those Omegas. It's like a special club you have to be born into, and us Betas are always on the out.”

Rey examines her closely and knows that for once this isn’t a lie. The resentment bleeds through Mischa’s every pore, and Rey finds herself standing there long after the other woman leaves, struck by the realisation of what biology brought this beautiful, intelligent woman to. 

Perhaps Omegas aren’t the only ones affected by the nature of designations.

Perhaps everyone is cursed.

She heads back into the conference room to find a weary Hux and a buoyant Ziro who quickly slaps her on the back.

“Brilliant job, girl!  We annihilated them!  I knew there was a reason Jabba stayed so loyal to KSO.”

She throws him a stiff smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I’m glad we could achieve a satisfactory outcome for you, Mr Tiure.”

“Yes, but what now?  What do we do next?  Now that we know what she’s done, surely we are going to take it further.”

“We got them to settle.  I think we should leave it there,” she replies tersely.

“I don’t want to leave it,” he scoffs, “I want to crush the bitch!”

And just like that, Rey’s patience snaps.

“Mr Tiure, I think you should quit while you’re ahead.  Miss Swan might have done the wrong thing, but that doesn’t make what you did right. You did what they claimed, you fired someone because you thought they were an Omega and it was inconvenient.  You were guilty; you just got lucky this time.  But I know your type. If you did it this time, you’ve done it before.”

She picks up her papers from the desk and heads for the door, but she can’t help but offer Ziro one last piece of advice.

“Cut your losses, Mr Tiure, and try to be a better person in the future.  You might not get so lucky again.”

And with that, she turns on her heel and leaves, feeling every bit an Alpha.

***

It’s a little after two in the afternoon when Rey is summoned to Snoke’s office. 

She hadn’t been there before, and the sweltering temperature of the room smacks her in the face upon entrance.  It’s oppressive in a way that makes her head swirl and makes her long for an open window or a blowing air conditioning vent.

Still, even that isn’t enough to dampen her spirits, and she marches in to meet the managing partner with a steely internal resolve.  Hux is standing not far behind him, and she wonders whether he has some scheme up his sleeve to thwart all her hard work at the last minute.

“Take a seat, young Rey,” Snoke simpers, but Rey doesn’t move towards the chair in front of his desk.

“Actually, I think I’ll stand.  This shouldn’t take long.”

Snoke’s eyes flash, and her nose detects the ominous scent of an Alpha with his hackles raised.  Her Omega reflex is to submit to the Alpha’s will, but with this man, her own personal hatred acts like a shield against her biological instincts, protecting her from his will and keeping her planted firmly on her feet.

“I take it you’ve heard the good news?” she asks nonchalantly, throwing a brief glance at Hux.  “The case was dropped - no settlement payment required.”

“I’ve heard…”

“Brilliant.  I’ve held up my end of the bargain.  Now, are you going to honour yours?”

Snoke casually removes his spectacles and studies her for a long moment.

“I’m afraid, Miss Jensen, that our deal is off.”

“ _Excuse me_?” she fires back, barely able to contain her inner rage, even though part of her had expected this from the slimy snake.

He grins at her obvious fury and waves a lazy hand in the air.

“I remain unconvinced by the validity of your victory.  It seems to me you won on a technicality.” 

“I _won_ fair and square!”

“I disagree.  This test was about proving your ability.  Winning under such circumstances doesn’t prove any skill on your part, but rather a lack of skill in your opponent.”

“I used my knowledge of the plaintiff and my instincts to decipher her behaviour and uncover the truth.  Any other lawyer that took this case would have failed to achieve this outcome.  Hux was the senior resource on this case and I didn’t hear him suggest this strategy.”

“You expect me to believe that a girl your age, with your very limited experience, did all this without help?  Forgive me, but it seems much more likely that you received assistance to broker this result – something that was specifically against the rules.”

“I didn’t,” Rey hisses vehemently.  “No one figured it out, except _me_!"

At that, Snoke turns to Hux. 

“And what say you, Armitage?  Do you concur with the girl?  Did she reach this result herself, or was she aided in her endeavours?”

Hux’s pale blue eyes dart from Snoke, to Rey, to the floor, and Rey feels the pit of her stomach sink in the same direction. 

She should have known that he would betray her; that he would make up his own version of events – one that would keep Ben from attaining the much coveted promotion and unwittingly leave Rey unemployed.

“Hux – _tell him_ ,” she urges desperately.  “Tell him that you didn’t help me!”

Hux’s gaze remains fixed on her, his eyes cold and calculating, but just when she thinks all hope is lost…

“She’s telling the truth, Sir.  She received no assistance from me.  The strategy was her own.”

It’s not the answer Snoke expected, and it’s certainly not the one he wanted, that much blatantly evident from his irate expression as he glares at the man beside him.  He surely would have been banking on Hux going to any lengths to keep Ben from being promoted before him, even potentially going as far as blatantly lying to prevent it.  Hell, she’d been expecting it too.

Hiding her own amazement at the sudden, unexpected turn in her favour, she strengthens her own resolve and turns back to Snoke with a satisfied grin. 

“Now that we’ve cleared that up,” Rey says with renewed vigour, “let’s go over the terms of my victory once more – just so we don’t miss anything.”

“Get out, Hux,” Snoke hisses at the man, and he scurries out of the office like a rat. 

Once he’s gone, Snoke rises from his chair, walking around until he is within arm’s length of her, and Rey has to force herself to hold her ground as her skin crawls at his proximity.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Miss Jensen,” he says in that silkily menacing tone.

“You’re just upset you lost,” she counters, looking him dead in the eye despite his height.  “Now, you're going to give Ben back his promotion and leave me alone, just like you promised.”

He continues to glower at her, until his mouth suddenly morphs into a cruel smile.  

“Very well, Miss Jensen.  I’ll let you win this round…” 

She struggles to keep from rolling her eyes at the notion that he ‘let’ her win, but before she can walk away, his long, thin fingers clasp around her wrist, and she flinches under his grasp as he finishes. 

“…but be careful.  Should we tangle again, you may not find me so charitable.”

Rey wrenches her wrist free from is grip and throws him one last, withering stare before leaving.

Luckily, she bumps into Rose on her way back to the pen.  Apparently news of Rey winning the unwinnable case has already spread around the office, and Rose is quick to organise celebratory drinks at the wine bar down the road for that evening.   As much as she might be a little shaken by the whole encounter with Snoke, a victory like this needs to be savoured, and Rey isn’t about to let the old bastard put a dampener on her mood.  Rey quickly agrees to the plans and leaves Rose feeling bolstered.

To top it off, when she arrives back at her cubicle, she finds a little pouch of premium Earl Grey tea leaves on top of her desk, and Rey can’t help but feel that despite all the surprises of the day, this one might be the most shocking of all.

***

Rey, Rose and Kaydel arrive at _Andrasha_ at seven, and the place is already pumping.  Rose lets Rey know that Poe will be joining them later with several other partners, and Rey had called Finn on the way and begged him to also meet them for a few drinks.

Rose buys the first round, Kaydel the second, and by the time they are on their third, Poe has shown up and offered to buy drinks for half the bar.

They toast to Rey – to her marvellous win – and she feels very much the toast of the town.  When Finn arrives halfway through their third round, she introduces him to her colleagues and bites back a smile when he and Rose instantly strike up a very involved conversation about comic books.

She’s actually relieved that they are distracted, because it allows her to check her phone again.  The same phone she’s been checking since three… since she messaged Ben and told him about their drink plans.

It’s not that she’d really expected him to come.  This isn’t his crowd – he’s more of a solo act at the best of times, and she knows how little he thinks of Poe and his crew.  But still, she’d expected a text back… just a short, ‘ _Thanks, but I’ve got a really important date with my drycleaner’_ or ‘ _I’d rather die than breathe the same air as Dameron, but congrats’._ Anything would have done really; _anything_ except radio silence.

The display on her phone lights up, and sure enough, still no messages from Ben.

Which is fine, really.  In fact, she should have expected this.  It’s not like _he_ knows how she stuck her neck out for him - what she went through to win his promotion back.  He wouldn’t have expected her to do something like that, and perhaps that’s because she shouldn’t have.  He is a sensible guy, and she had been anything but sensible when she had agreed to that wager with Snoke, and the longer her phone goes without buzzing, the more she becomes convinced she should have let him rot for a few more years as junior partner – the ungrateful git.

Rey must be glaring at her glass because Kaydel asks her if there is something wrong with her champagne, and she’s just about to down the rest of it and order another one, when the air shifts…

And she smells him…

 _Ben_.

It’s another minute before he actually comes into view, but sure enough, there he is, sauntering his way over from the bar with a red wine in hand and a smirk on his face.

Again, she smiles at the mere sight of him in spite of herself and quickly excuses herself from the group, meeting him in the middle.

“Well, well, well,” he says, his deep voice resonating through to her bones.  “A Beta masquerading as an Omega... who'd have thought?”

“It does seem a little crazy, doesn’t it?” she replies with a wry grin.

They walk over to the balcony, standing shoulder to shoulder as they look out over the lights of the city.  Rey finds herself fiddling with her near empty champagne glass, twirling the stem in her hand as she staves off the swirling in her head.

It’s been about a week since she’s been this close to him; not since their lunch at the sushi place.  Rey had been so busy with the case, she hadn’t had much time for anything else, not that she’d been sorry to put a bit of distance between them.  When he’s around, her head seems muddled somehow, and yet at the same time, now that he is here again, with his arm brushing against hers and his scent filling her whole world, the world has never seemed so clear. 

It’s dangerous.

“I didn’t think you were coming,” she says eventually.

“What kind of boss would I be if I didn’t come and celebrate when my associate wins an unwinnable case?  It’s the talk of the office.”

“I thought you said no case is _unwinnable_ ,” she counters with an arched brow.

“Not for me,” he replies with a smirk.  “Your win has garnered you a lot of attention with the partners.  Snoke himself came by to tell me how impressed he was with your performance today, so much so that he’s giving me back my promotion.”

“Well, fancy that…” Rey mutters to her shoes. 

“So from Monday you'll be back working with me again - if you can stand to be torn away from Hux, that is.”

He says it with an air of sarcasm, but Rey can’t help but smile as she remembers the tea he left on her desk.

“He isn’t so bad,” she says, ignoring the glare that gets thrown her way.  “Congratulations on your promotion.”

She raises her champagne flute, tipping it in his direction and he clinks his glass to hers.

“Thank you, celebrations all round today, it seems.”

She nods, her gaze drifting back out to the sea of lights before them as traffic whizzes by down below and the buildings around them blink.  She’s lost in the magnificence of it all, when she hears Ben speak in a soft, low rumble.

“You did very well today,” he tells her. “I'm very proud of you.”

Her heart swells in her chest, his words wrapping themselves around her like a warm blanket.

 “Thank you,” she smiles back at him.

_The Alpha is proud of you.  He thinks you did well.  The big, strong Alpha is pleased with you._

Her mind is still warm and fuzzy, but somewhere in her hindbrain she notices a spike in the pheromones around her; his already overwhelming scent intensifying in a sudden burst of spice.

Beside her, he suddenly downs the rest of his wine and places his empty glass on the ledge. 

“Well, I’d better be going,” he says gruffly, and she thinks she nods, she thinks she does, but she can’t quite be sure with how disorientated she feels.

“I’ll see you Monday,” he tells her, heading for the stairs and she looks after him as he calls over his shoulder, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“What, because you’re such a paragon of virtue?” she calls after him, to which he smirks.

“Do as I say; not as I do, Rey.  Be a good girl and behave yourself.  Don’t party too hard tonight – I need those brain cells of yours intact.”

She’s still trying to think of a witty retort when he disappears down the stairs.

Rey knows this is the part where she heads back inside, meets up with Rose and Finn and Poe and all the others and continues to celebrate.  She knows this; it was nice for him to show up and say hi, but he’s done that, and now he’s gone, and it’s time for her to re-join the party.

But the thing is, she’s quite a few drinks in, and that’s the only explanation she can think of for why her feet carry her down the same stairs he’s just gone down and out into the crisp night air.

"Ben!"

He's halfway to a cab when she calls after him, but he hears her nonetheless and turns back with a smile, which she instantly returns.

Now that she’s out there, in the fresh air, she knows what she wants to say to him.  Perhaps it’s been percolating in her mind for days, since she first noticed it the other day when she was looking at her calendar.

"You know," she starts as she makes her way down the street, ambling up to him with her hands behind her back, "I'll have been at KSO for one month on Monday."

His eyes flicker with something as she closes the huge gap between them until she’s only a few steps away.

"Is that so?"

"Mhmm.  My one month anniversary.”

“Right...” he replies, apparently amused.

“I’ll have been there for one whole month, and I just thought I should point out that I’m not currently knotted, wifed up _or_ pregnant.”

Ben’s eyes widen for a second, and she is delighted that she’s been able to elicit another shocked reaction from someone today, but her triumph is short lived, because he recovers in an instant and grins back at her dangerously.

“No,” he agrees, but then he’s stepping forward and dipping lower, dropping down from his full height so that his mouth is almost brushing against her ear, his hand steady at her waist, and he’s _so close_ , the smell of him so intoxicating that she has to actively stop herself from physically reacting to it, and finally, after the longest, most excruciating pause, he whispers softly, so only she can hear.

“ _Not yet_ …”

It's practically a purr, one that sends tingles shooting through her body and makes her eyes flutter shut, and his scent is all around her, enveloping her in its delicious warmth, and inexplicably she finds herself tilting her chin, angling it away, until she is effectively presenting her neck to him.

He draws closer, so close she can feel his breath on her bare skin, right on her left scent gland.  It leaves a trail of goosebumps across her neck, and then she hears him inhale deeply.

He must only be an inch away from her now.  If she moves forward, or if he does, his mouth will be on her skin.  He could lick her there, on her gland, the one that has begun to throb, desperate for attention.  He could suck it, mark her, leave red splotches across her throat.

He could even _bite_ her.

The scariest part is - she wants him to.

 _Badly_.

Her whole body thrums with the need.  It shrieks through her veins.

But then he’s pulling back, away from her, and her body almost follows him of its own volition, but she manages to contain herself, and just like that, the moment is broken.  He takes a big step back, appraising her through dark, piercing eyes that feel as hot on her skin as his breath had been just a moment ago.

Finally, he opens the cab door and gives her one last, heated look.

“Goodnight, little Omega.”

“Goodnight..." Rey whispers to the wind, long after his taxi has pulled away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that happened… 
> 
> Also, great guessing guys!!! I've been cackling for weeks reading all the different theories - and may I just say, you guys are on the ball! A special shout out to Janeitesarah who was the first to guess Mischa’s little secret way back in Chapter 8!
> 
> This chapter concludes the first of three major arcs in this story. Coming up in the next arc:  
> \- Ben and Rey's little dance continues  
> \- We finally learn a little more about our mysterious, sneaky Rey, and so does Ben.  
> \- Things heat up... 
> 
> As for the next chapter, Jealous/Possessive!Ben makes a triumphant return, and Rey learns something unexpected about her new boss that makes her see him in a new light.
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping to see next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	11. Cowboy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey get a new case and Ben overreacts like the drama queen he is (it’s not all his fault, he's a Skywalker).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone! 
> 
> Okay, so it has been literally forever since I last posted! I can honestly say I have missed you guys terribly! Sorry for the ridiculously long hiatus, I’ve been off having a little bubby! He arrived in January just after my last post and it’s so odd, but babies are actually really time consuming… who knew… they should really tell people about that! 
> 
> Yes, if you can’t tell, my voice is dripping in sarcasm, but stupidly I actually was surprised by how long it’s taken me to have a minute to myself so I could write. If I’d known there’d be such a long gap I would have warned you, so apologies for that! 
> 
> The feedback from the last chapter completely blew me away! Your warm words and kudos helped to keep a smile on my face through the pain and the painkillers and two months of no sleep. This fic ticked over 1000 kudos since the last chapter, a first for me, and I am still just so grateful that anyone is even reading this! I’ll be doing my best to make sure I don’t keep you waiting so long for a chapter again.
> 
> Also, please know I will always respond to comments, it might just take me a while sometimes, coz life, but I will get there, so I hope you don’t feel like I’m ignoring you! I have a terrible habit of reading comments over and over like a crazy person, so know that all your words to me are cherished!
> 
> This is another setup chapter. I’ve had to split it into two because it grew to be a monster (as usual). The case in this arc (and some of the dialogue) is heavily inspired by one from Suits - if you’ve watched it, you’ll know which episode.
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by Omar LinX.
> 
> And now, after the longest break and the longest author note EVER…. let’s get into it!

Ben arrives at the benefit a little later than he had planned.  He had dressed with extra care that Sunday night before leaving his apartment, picking out one of his finest suits - a slim fit, single breasted, woollen three-piece in charcoal, freshly dry cleaned and pristinely pressed.

Outwardly, he is a picture of measured perfection, which is just what he is aiming for, because inside...

Inside, Ben is struggling.

It's been a month and two weeks since the night at Andrasha and he has firmly made camp in Struggle City.

It's just... he's kind of stuck on her.  

Rey. 

He blames her scent. It chases him around the office, haunting him everywhere he goes; in meetings, at lunchtime, it even invades and takes over what was once his private sanctuary – his office.  It makes it impossible to concentrate on anything else, instead driving him to distraction and leaving him looking like a moron when he completely loses his train of thought at the most inopportune of times, like in the middle of depositions when she pushes her hair away from her face, or in the courtroom when she hands him his papers. 

It sings in the neuropathways of his brain, prompting him to recall how clever and pretty and funny she is - like he needs the reminder.

It clings to him to the point where he can’t even find relief on the weekends when he is apart from her.  It seems to take _days_ for it to dissipate, and by then, Monday has rolled around again, and he’s back in his own personal hell.

She’s everywhere.  All the time.  All delicious and intoxicating and all-consuming.

It’s overwhelming.

It’s _unbearable_.

And he can’t escape.

Worst of all, it has completely thrown him off his game, because it’s been two months and two weeks since Rey started at KSO, which means it's been two months and _three_ weeks since he’s been laid.

At least it's easy to keep track.

He hasn’t quite made it as far as some girl’s apartment since the night he and Rey first met, but the sad fact remains - he can’t even think of another girl anymore without instantly going soft.

It's almost like subconsciously he's... waiting for her.   Except he’s not, because that would be incredibly stupid, since she is completely off limits and there is no way he can ever, _ever_ have her.

What he really needs to do is go out and find someone else to scratch his itch, so to speak.  It would be easy; he’s done it for years.  He has a well-polished routine, one that practically guarantees him an easy lay by the end of the night.  But whenever he even contemplates looking for another woman, his whole body recoils in disgust at the idea.  

Hell, he can’t even jerk himself off anymore without thinking about Rey.

It has become his secret shame.

Most days he doesn’t bother, opting instead for a cold shower and an extra hour or two at the gym to work out his frustrations. But when it all becomes too much and he fears he won’t fit into his pants in the morning, he braves it. 

And ends up feeling more tortured than ever.

Having to see her the next day, be around her, watch her blind everyone and everything with her dazzling effervescence and be enveloped by her scent that could have been bottled straight from the Garden of Eden... it's too much.  He can’t meet her eye on those days, memories of his fantasies from the night before seeping through into his conscious mind and playing on repeat, over and over as he tries desperately to remember what he is supposed to be saying or doing or thinking.

If she’s noticed his odd behaviour, she hasn’t said anything.  Sometimes part of him wonders if she's struggling with the same thing. It’s not something he hopes for or anything, but sometimes he could almost kid himself that she is; every now and then, if he’s standing a little too close, or their banter becomes particularly charged. 

In the end, it doesn’t matter either way, because the whole thing flies in the face of his golden rule - _no relationships in the workplace._

A rule he needs to remember. 

A rule he keeps forgetting.

The whole situation is a mess.  _He_ is a mess.

Still, he can’t afford for any of that to be apparent to the outside world; not tonight, not when he has to be cool, calm and collected for his meeting with Gannis Ducain, the new CEO of Millennium Aviation. 

The benefit - held by a Chandrillian socialite with more money than sense - is probably some fundraising scheme for puppies without diamond collars or something equally pointless, but Ben is only here for face time with Ducain.

Rey is to meet him at the benefit at nine, fresh from her review of the Millennium Aviation’s three hundred and ninety-six page lease terms. 

He had also instructed Rey to dress to impress; as much as it would pain him.  Apparently she’d used her second month's paycheck to finally heed his advice and invest in a number of improved wardrobe items.  

It didn’t bode well for him.

Ben had enough trouble resisting her during her first month on the job when she’d donned cheap, ill-fitting polyester, let alone now, now that her wardrobe is filled with silk and soft cashmere, all perfectly tailored to her slender figure.  He hadn't been lucky enough to bear witness to all the new additions yet, but the ones he had seen left him close to ruin.

Sure enough, when she comes wobbling around the corner in four inch heels – another new addition – it suddenly becomes very… hard.

Hard to remember where they are, what they are doing here and who they are supposed to be meeting. 

It also makes him question things; things like _why didn’t he realise the threat Rey’s new wardrobe would pose to his sanity_ , and _how can she look so stunning and slim in that figure-hugging, sapphire silk dress when he knows for a fact that she ate two hamburgers and a bucket of fries for lunch on Friday_ , and perhaps, most importantly, _why has he got a self-imposed golden rule that prevents him from finding out for himself_?

She sparkles under the fairy light covered rooftop, her personal brand of unpolished elegance shining through as brightly as it always does.  There is something so comforting, so strangely familiar about her.  Sometimes, when he looks at her, he is struck by the oddest sensation that he has met her somewhere before, long ago, in a past life perhaps.  Like she is meant to be there, with him, has been on her way to him this whole time.

Jesus, he sounds stark raving mad.  Or worse… romantic.

What a fucking _calamity_.

Thankfully his cool, calm and collected façade is still in place, hiding his reaction to her.  Rey’s knowing little smirk is impossibly frustrating, and it’s always out in full force when he lets slip that she’s impressed him, so best to keep her in the dark.

Luckily, right now her pretty face is graced with the most adorable of frowns.

“Who organises an event with this many people on the rooftop of a building with only one elevator and a gazillion stairs?” Rey comes to a halt in front of him and shuffles uncomfortably from her left foot to her right in her nude pumps.  “What are we doing here anyway?”

“We,” Ben starts as he straightens his tie and pointedly avoids looking at Rey’s tanned calves that peak out below the knee-length hemline of her dress, “are here to meet Corellia’s dullest man.”

“How exciting,” Rey returns without the slightest hint of excitement and swipes a champagne flute from a passing waiter before he leads her through the crowd with a firm hand on her lower back, the silk unbearably soft under his fingertips. 

As they walk, he fills her in in low whispers.

“Several months ago, Gannis Ducain became the new CEO of one of my biggest clients after the previous CEO passed away.  Millennium Aviation was the first company I ever brought into the firm.  New leadership always attracts the vultures; we need to stave them off, make sure we retain them as a client.”

“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

Ben gives her a wry smile.

“Why, by showing off my associate and all her talents, of course.”

Rey throws him a look.

“You’d better be talking about my mental faculties, Solo.”

“Obviously.  What else would I be referring to?” he shoots back, and even if he hadn’t intended for the question to be rhetorical, there isn’t time for her to answer as the topic of their discussion comes into view.

Ben greets him boldly with a firm handshake, which Ducain returns soppily.  He had only met Ducain a handful of times prior, not having had much to do with him in his previous role as CFO, but to Ben, this is a bad omen.  It is his opinion that weak handshakes are the first sign of poor leadership.

“Good to see you again, Gannis.  I’d like to introduce you to Rey Jensen, one of the firm’s brightest new associates.” 

Ducain gives Rey an appraising glance, and he is pleased to see that for once someone isn’t ogling her like a piece of meat, but he isn’t all that surprised.  The man has his faults, plenty of them, but from what Ben has witnessed, Gannis Ducain would be more turned on by a healthy profit and loss statement than by a woman.

“Mmm, I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Ben can feel Rey’s hackles rise in annoyance.  It’s something he has noticed about her; she just can’t stand when someone doubts her abilities.  He gets it, he’d probably be the same.  He also finds it incredibly endearing.   However, despite Rey’s clenched jaw and disdainful glare, Ben himself remains unperturbed.

“I had her read your corporate lease yesterday; ask her anything about it.”

Ducain furrows his brow before returning his gaze to Rey, a mix of curiosity and skepticism.  Rey - the obstinate little spitfire that she is - returns his gaze unwaveringly with a healthy dose of tenacity.

“Okay… what is the premises listed?”

Rey answers without batting an eye.

“328 Santhe Drive, Coronet City, Corellia.” 

Ben bites back a grin.

“And the name of the lessor?”

“Coppergrin Valley LLC of 42 Garsmelt Way, Coronet City, Corellia.”

Ducain’s beady eyes narrow.  He’s a beta, so Ben can’t smell him, but he doesn’t need to smell him to know that he’s impressed.  Apparently he is in need of further convincing however, because he continues his barrage of questions.

“What are the terms?”

“The expiry is in six months with an option to extend, exercisable in thirty days.”

“Who signed the lease?”

“You did.”

“And what is the first clause on the four-hundredth page?”

Rey pauses for a moment before arching a brow.

“There isn’t a four-hundredth page.”

“How do you know that?” Ducain asks, and Rey smiles back at him, victorious.

“I know, because the lease I read was three hundred and ninety six pages.  I can tell you what was on any of those pages, but I can’t tell you what was on the four-hundredth page because it doesn’t exist.”

Ben’s chest puffs out and he feels that familiar rush of pleasure flood through his veins, the same one that he always feels when she shows off her brilliance.

_Atta girl._

Not that it comes as a surprise.

It hadn’t taken him long to put his trust in her ability to kick ass all on her own.  In the beginning, before she’d proved herself, he’d been cautious, worried about leaving her to ride without training wheels, lest she fall.

Her first case had made him particularly anxious.  He'd stayed close, keeping an eye on her where he could, just in case she stumbled.  But of course, she hadn't. 

The clever girl.

She had found a way to win all on her own, and watching her dominate from outside of Conference Room B that day had very nearly driven him into rut.

Not that _that_ particular thought is very helpful right now.  Thankfully they haven’t noticed him lost in his recollections.

“Excellent,” Ducain exclaims, finally turning back to Ben.  “You can get her started on the new deal right away.”

Ben blinks.

“New deal?”

“That’s right,” Ducain returns before downing the remnants of his champagne glass.  “I have found a buyer willing to spend $200 million for the ground underneath the flagship factory. The real asset of Millennium Aviation is the brand.  If we move production from Corellia to the outer rim, we can save ourselves a fortune.  Get your child genius here to start drawing up the papers; I’ll be in touch.”

It takes all of Ben’s willpower to maintain a satisfactory level of politeness long enough to bid Ducain goodnight, but as soon as he is out of earshot, his face sours. 

“Fuck, I knew he was dull, but I didn't realize he was an idiot.”

Rey turns to him, puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

Ben shakes his head as he takes Rey by the arm and heads for the exit.  No need to stay any longer since their business here is done.

Ben had already had very low expectations of Ducain, but this is worse than even he expected.  He could feel it, the ego driving Ducain’s decision-making instead of rational sense, the need he felt to make his mark in his new role as CEO.

Fucking betas; they always have something to prove.

He says as much to Rey as he explains the issue.

“The asset's not the name, it's the quality.  If he moves Millennium Aviation to the outer rim, he may as well throw their reputation out the window, along with decades of hard work establishing them as the leader in aviation.  I grew up watching my Dad work on his YT-1300f light plane.  He called it a feat of engineering, the best you could buy, but I promise you this; if Ducain goes through with his plan, within the next five years, Millennium Aviation will be dead and buried.”

Ben thrusts a hand through his hair in frustration, combing it back with his long fingers, and curses again.

“You know,” Rey says, her heels making sharp clapping sounds against the ceramic tiles as she practically jogged to keep up with him, “I hate to say it, Ben, but it kind of sounds like you… dare I say it… _care.._.?”  He throws her a sharp look, to which she only grins.  “I thought you didn't get emotionally attached to work related things, or _anything_ for that matter?”

As they reach the elevator, Ben glares back at her before smashing the ‘down’ button.

“Hey, I'm emotionally attached to _me_.  This was my first client.  This company has the potential to grow and my billables will grow with it. We're holding a pair of aces, and this asshole is trying to fold.”

When the elevator dings they both enter, and out of the corner of his eye Ben can see Rey biting her lip through the mirrored walls that surround him, though he steadfastly avoids her gaze. 

There is no avoiding her scent though.

It’s everywhere.  That burst of fresh sweetness that always drives him crazy.  In the confined space of the elevator, it has nowhere to go, and nothing to do but drive him crazy, to the point where he finds himself wringing his hands and tapping his right Oxford incessantly, until his hand comes up to tug at his collar where his own scent gland is concealed.  It itches under the woven fabric of his crisp white shirt.

“So, what do you want to do?” she asks finally, as Ben tries to breathe through his mouth.

“I want you to go through those bylaws and find a way for me to get rid of Gannis Ducain.”

The skin on the back of his neck prickles, not from her scent but rather from Rey’s hazel eyes that seem to see right through him.

“Ben… are you sure that’s a good idea?  It sounds risky.”

It is risky.  He knows that.  Ben really has no business meddling with the CEO appointments of his clients. But still, he has to try.  The thought of Millennium Aviation disappearing into the abyss after over half a century of brilliance is too much to bear.

He shakes his head at the image that swims to the surface, the image of a boy with big ears and sad eyes sitting on his father’s lap in the cramped cockpit where a pair of dice hang.

“Just do it, Rey.”

“Fine,” she replies softly as they reach the ground.  He strides out into the night ahead of her, running from her knowing, judging eyes.

He hails a cab for her and hastily ushers her in.  He’ll grab the next one.  The sooner he gets Rey out of there, the better. 

Rey, with her shrewd eyes and cheeky smile and tanned legs and delicious scent.

Why does she have this affect on him?

The tragedy is, he can’t even blame her for it.  She doesn’t know – _thank_ _god_ – what she does to him.  She didn’t know how close he’d been, on the night of her drinks, to saying _fuck it_ and biting her, right there in the middle of the street, as she innocently presented her pretty little neck to him.  She probably didn’t even realise she had been doing it.  It drives him crazy, the way she is so self-assured and brilliant in some ways and so innocently naive in others.

But Ben… Ben knows better.

There is a line, and he had been way too close to crossing it.

God, he’d been a fool that night.  On a night and a street so much like this one.  The things he’d done.  The things he’d _said_.

_Not yet._

Two words had never haunted him so severely. 

He attributed it to a combination of alcohol and stupidity, because he certainly didn’t like them in the harsh light of day.

Not yet.

Not yet?  Not _ever_ , if he had anything to say about it!

He had meant it as a taunt, a tease, a way to test her stubborn resolve, to check her arrogance at having bested him.

But now that the words were out, he can’t help but think of how completely utterly wrong they are.  They imply an air of inevitability to his prediction that doesn’t sit well with him. The idea of her being knotted by anyone at KSO makes his skin crawl, and quietly, secretly, shamefully, Ben knows that the only person he could stand to do those things to her is...

 _Himself_.

And that's not gonna happen.

After all, he has a rule about office flings.  Rules are necessary for self-preservation, perhaps now more than ever.  And even if he didn’t... well, Rey just doesn’t feel like a fling type of girl anyway.

And he can’t offer her anything else – again, for self-preservation purposes.

So it can’t be him.

And if it can't be _him_ , then it can't be _anyone_.  

It just can't.  

He’s not sure he could bear it.

***

By midday Monday, Rey has found the answer to Ben’s dilemma.  She’d been up half the night and in early that morning, but even _she_ is surprised by how quickly she was able to uncover a solution, and she can’t wait to gloat.

Rey is on her way to Ben’s office, in fact she’s half way down the hall, when Poe sticks his handsome head out of his office and beckons her in.   She hasn’t even made it through the door when she realises with a jolt that he’s not alone, because there, lounging in the corner of the room is Leia Organa.

 _The_ Leia Organa.

She looks just as impressive in person as she did in the images Rey found during her late night internet searches; her dark grey hair carefully styled off her face in an elaborate chignon, emphasising her wide, deep chocolate eyes that boast wisdom and shrewdness.  She is dressed in navy tweed, a jacket and skirt combination that screams designer vintage, as does the ring on her right hand, an unusual design featuring two lapis lazuli stones.

Rey thanks her lucky stars that she had chosen to wear one of her new outfits to work today; a black peplum top and off-white pencil skirt.

 “Rey, have you met-” Poe starts, but he doesn’t get to finish, because Rey is already bounding forward.

“Oh gosh, I am thrilled to finally meet you, Leia- I mean… Mrs Organa… I mean-”

“Leia is fine,” her idol replies with a smile, her eyes twinkling as she holds out a hand for her to shake.  Rey does so, clasping it within her own.

It’s surreal to finally be meeting her in person, and even stranger when she realises this is Ben’s mother, a huge piece of the puzzle that makes up her mysterious Alpha boss, and half of the reason he even exists  in the first place.

“Rey’s a bit of a fan,” Poe grins from the side, and it only widens when Rey shoots daggers at him.

“Shut up, Poe.”

“Don’t worry, Rey,” Leia laughs, “I think the admiration is mutual.  I heard about your win for Hutt Construction.  Very impressive.  It sounds like my son made the right choice for once.”

“Speaking of which,” Poe butts in before Rey can blush, or say thanks, or faint, or something, “that’s why I called you in here.  See, I have my own doozy of a case and I was kind of hoping I could pick your brain about it and see if some of your genius rubs off on me.” 

“Oh.”

She hadn’t been expecting that.  Poe is very well regarded around the office as one of their best lawyers.  What could he possibly hope to learn from her?

She is chewing on the inside of her mouth when she realises he is still staring at her expectantly.

“Poe, I’m flat out at the moment with my own cases.  I’m not sure-”

“Oh, come on,” he cajoles.  “It won’t take long.  We can even do it over lunch.  I’ll take you out for pizza.  You’ve got to eat, don’t you?”

Well, that is true, she does need to eat.

“I guess…”

The funny thing is, these days she usually just grabs a quick bite for lunch with Ben. 

She isn’t quite sure how it happened, but their little lunchtime adventures somehow became a bit of a habit.  Practically, it makes sense; they can continue to work on strategies through lunch, increase their productivity.  Plus she gets a free meal.  After all, she might have spent half of last month’s paycheck on clothes, but she still has a mountain of student loans to wade through.

“Please?”

Poe gives her his best puppy dog expression and accompanies his request with such a charming smile that Rey finds it hard to do anything but acquiesce.

“Okay, fine!  But just a quick one.” 

Poe grins victoriously – typical Alpha.

“There you go, Leia,” he says, turning back to his boss. “All we need is a fresh perspective. I’m sure with a little help from Rey we’ll have come up with a new avenue to explore by the end of the day.”

“Mhmm,” the older woman hums, the corner of her lips twitching upwards.

“I’ll have to meet you downstairs in twenty,” Rey says looking down at her watch – a cheap, pleather thing she bought from a street vendor.  “I need to catch up with Ben before I go to run him through the Millennium Aviation bylaws.”

Rey might be paranoid, but Leia’s gaze on her suddenly appears to sharpen. Poe, however, doesn’t seem fazed.  In fact, he’s already turning his attention back to his laptop, chewing on his pen as he reads intently from the screen.

“No problem, I’ll meet you in the lobby.” 

Rey gives Leia one last little star-struck wave before rushing off to Ben’s office.  Knowing him, he’d already think she has taken too long to come up with an answer for him, despite her finding it in record time.

***

Sure enough, when Rey turns the corner to Ben’s office, he is sprawled in his chair, playing catch with himself with what looks like a stress ball.

“About time, Jensen.”

She scowls, muttering something about how lucky he is under her breath as she dumps her copy of the bylaws and her bag on the nearest table.

“So,” he prompts finally, his attention still on the ball, “what did you find?”

Rey takes a seat in front of him at his desk and leans forward eagerly.

“The Millennium Aviation board can't vote for at least forty-eight hours after the CEO presents a deal involving the sale of company land.”

When he finally looks at her, it’s as if she’s a total moron.

“That might be helpful, Rey, if Ducain hadn’t already presented it to the Board.  They met last week.”

Rey finds herself leaning forward in her seat, her eagerness apparent.

“Yes, but Ducain _isn't_ CEO,” she tells him, a conspiratorial grin on her face.  “As stated in the bylaws; if the CEO dies, an interim CEO will be appointed until the Board convenes an election vote, which can't be called until the following fiscal quarter. In this case, that’s next Wednesday.”

Ben’s forehead puckers as he contemplates that.

“So, they can't vote him in until Wednesday?” he says finally, rubbing his chin before nodding. “Okay, I can work with that.”

He rises from his chair to his full, immense height, the ball long forgotten, and begins to pace.

“So what now, boss?” she asks eventually with just a hint of sarcasm.

He turns back to her, his eyes gleaming.

“Now, you will prepare the paperwork for the due diligence, just as Ducain asked.  Meanwhile, _I_ have a little over a week to find Millennium Aviation a new CEO.”

“Right…”  She pauses before adding, “I’m still not sure this is such a good idea, Ben.  If Ducain finds out-”

“He won’t,” Ben interjects with a wave of his hand.  “It’ll be fine, Rey, don’t worry.”

She shrugs, unconvinced for once by his argument that seems to be severely lacking his usual level of careful rationalisation.  Ben, however, doesn’t appear to share any of her concern.  When he turns back to his desk, he looks happier than he has in a while.

“So, I guess we should break for lunch.  What did you feel like today? There is a really great taco joint down the road, or we could try out that new curry place that just opened on Fifth.”

That jolts Rey’s memory.  She checks her watch, which tells her she has five minutes before she has to be down in the lobby, and stands, smoothing out her skirt.

“Actually, Poe is taking me out to lunch today.”

Ben’s head snaps over to stare at her.

One beat, two, three, and Rey can feel the abrupt shift in the air.  His scent is morphing, boasting deep, rich spikes that assault her senses more so than usual.

The silence is as lengthy as it is deadly.

“ _What_?” he says eventually.

It doesn’t really sound like a question. 

More like a demand.  Or a growl.

“He just wants my opinion on a case he’s working on.”

His dark eyes flash and the Omega in Rey recoils involuntarily.

“And did you tell him you would have to check with your _boss_ before offering assistance on another case?” he asks, his voice low and ominous. 

It’s way he says ‘boss’, she realises.  The way it feels as though the word is meant to be substituted with something else. 

Something like _Alpha_.

Omega Rey can feel the intention behind it, the insinuation.  There is no denying that it rattles her.

But for the rest of Rey, all it does is pique her stubbornness and encourage her to dig her heels in.

“No, why would I do that?  We all work for the same firm. Why would we not help each other out?”

“You work for _me_ ,” he all but shouts, jabbing the point of his index finger against his chest to make a point. 

 “I do,” she acknowledges calmly.

“So why are you helping _him_?”

He always looks a good foot taller when he’s angry.  And a mile wider.  It is blatantly clear to her that she’s poked the beast.

 _How_ she managed to make him so angry is less clear to her.

Rey crosses her arms and lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Geez, Ben, it's not a big deal. He just wants an opinion on a case.”

“Yeah, I'll bet he does.”

Her eyes narrow in indignation at his tone.

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?” she asks, but Ben ignores her pointed question.

“I can't have you getting distracted with new cases. You should be focusing on the work I give you.”

“I'm not taking it on myself, I'm just lending an ear while I stuff my face with pizza.”

Ben stalks towards her, his shoulders shaking slightly and eyes unusually dark.

“You can't do that.”

She blinks up at him.  Has he completely lost all sense of rationality today?

“I'm allowed to have a lunch break, Ben.  If you had urgent work for me, of course I would prioritise it-”

“I _do_ have work for you. You need to do the due diligence for Ducain.”

She nearly gapes at the absurdity of it all.

“That’s not urgent!”

He takes another step closer.

“It needs to be done, Rey.”

“It will be done, _Ben_. After lunch.”

“It can’t wait until then.”

Rey is sure her eyes are bulging out of her head as she stares up at him.

Is he serious?  Has he had some kind of aneurysm in the past couple of minutes without her realising?

“Ben, the due diligence won’t even be required if you get Ducain overthrown as CEO.  It’s hardly urgent.”

Ben runs his fingers through his hair in frustration as Rey watches him, perplexed by his strange behaviour. 

He is flustered, she realises. 

Ben!  _Flustered_!

It is positively baffling.

Ben is usually unflappable, even under the most intense pressure.  In the past month, she has watched him seamlessly navigate his way out of countless sticky situations that would give anyone else heart palpitations.  And yet now he’s freaking out about her going to lunch.  She’s never seen him act this way.

Well, actually, maybe she has.  Just once before.

On her first day.

When she’d been late for her meeting with him.

She’d been with Poe then, too.

It’s no secret that Ben and Poe dislike each other, but surely their workplace rivalry isn’t toxic enough to prompt such an extreme reaction.  Such enmity could do nothing but harm the firm in the long run. 

They should all be working together, for the good of the firm. If she could help out a friend and the firm at the same time, she really couldn’t see why she shouldn’t.

 “I don’t get what your problem is.  You’re a senior partner, you share in the profits of the firm.  That means you benefit from the firm’s success - the entire firm, not just your team.  We are all on the same side here.”

“No, we are _not_ ,” he fires back, closing the distance between them with one large stride, so that she can feel the huffs from his frustrated heaving against her face and see the tiny tick under his left eye.  “Jesus, Rey, how can you still not get how things work around here?  There’s Snoke’s side and Leia’s side; you need to pick one.”

The pull is strong, undeniable.

She can feel his displeasure, and it grates at her, as it always does.

In the back of her mind, she hears the voice again, the one she always resents, the one that screams at her, chastising in the extreme.

_Stop.  You have upset the Alpha.  He does not wish you to go.  You should not be doing this._

The pull is strong, but her propensity to rebel is stronger.

Rey straightens her back, hoping desperately to shorten the height difference between them.  She will not let him intimidate her, no matter how grumpy he may be.  She won’t be ruled by her biology, or his Alpha mind games.  

Instead, she gives him a hard look, like she would a child throwing a temper tantrum.  She’s had enough of this stupidity.

Not willing to waste another second in this pointless argument, Rey swipes up her backpack, heaving it over her shoulder.

“I’m going to lunch.  I'll see you in an hour.”

“ _Traitor_!” he roars after her as she leaves, rolling her eyes to the heavens and praying to be absolved from the dramatics of Ben Solo.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst; Ben Solo is a drama queen, pass it on.
> 
> Up next: Rey learns something unexpected about her new boss that makes her see him in a new light, and Ben picks his candidate for CEO.
> 
>  
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping to see next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	12. Beneath the Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey has a new lunch buddy and Ben isn't happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone! 
> 
> Okay, it's been a while, but not as long as last time, so I'm getting better.
> 
> For everyone that left comments on my last chapter, thank you so much!! And thank you all for the best wishes on bubs, he is incredible and I feel like the luckiest (and tiredest) woman alive.
> 
> I forgot to mention in my last update that [Dalzo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dalzo/works)/[Reyloner](https://reyloner.tumblr.com/) made this AMAZING manip for this fic!!!  I am so in awe of it, and it totally gave me the warm and fuzzies! Fanart for fanfics is best present I could ever dream of, and this is my first one!  Go check it out  **[here](https://reyloner.tumblr.com/post/182426310712/reyloner-suits-and-stilettos-aims777-ben)**.
> 
> Also, THAT TRAILER THO!!! Feel free to scream at me about it in the comments. Don't worry, I'll scream back!
> 
> It's in the tags, but please note that there will be some pretty filthy language in Ben POVs - he has a bit of a potty mouth.
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by Demons of Ruby Mae.
> 
> Enough chat. Back to the story!

“I really appreciate your help, Rey,” Poe tells her amidst mouthfuls of pizza.

Rey takes a massive bite of her own pizza – pepperoni – and swallows it down, along with the burgeoning guilt that has been building since she first headed for the lobby half an hour ago.

She shouldn't feel guilty.  She _doesn’t_ feel guilty.  That would just be stupid.

It's more like an uncomfortable, irrepressible niggling that she can’t quite explain, except she’s pretty sure it has something to do with her very tall, very unhappy boss that she walked out on half an hour ago. 

She barely manages to fake a happy smile before Poe continues.

“I didn't want to trouble Rose with this since she’s taking a day off after the KSO Gala next Thursday and I know she’s already flat out trying to close out her other cases.”

Rey had already known that, since Finn hasn’t shut up about his long weekend getaway plans with Rose for weeks now.

“It’s no trouble,” she replies, because it’s not, despite what Ben thinks.  Because she _knows_ what Ben thinks.  Sadly, she finds herself acutely aware.

It's the oddest thing, but it’s almost like she can _feel_ him; several blocks away, in his office, brooding and seething and raging in turn.

Stupid Ben, putting stupid ideas in her stupid head.

Great, now she’s feeling guilty _and_ frustrated.

She tries to shake it off by taking another large bite of delicious, cheesy pizza. Poe's pizza looks good too - meat lovers, she thinks.  She’d love to try it, but for some reason it just doesn’t feel right to reach across the table and steal a slice off his plate, so she refrains.

Maybe she could bring Ben here sometime, once he is finished being mad at her.  Maybe she could even bring some back for him, as a peace offering of sorts.

“Speaking of the Gala, are you looking forward to your first one?”

“Sort of...” 

She pauses, because the truth is she’s a little nervous.  She’d never been to a black tie event before.

She hadn't had enough money in her wardrobe budget for the month to allow her to buy a new gown for the event, and god knows she didn’t own anything that would be suitable. Luckily, Rose had offered to lend her one of her sister’s dresses for the night.

Instead of confiding that though, she adds, “I’m more excited for the end of my probation.  My three months are up on the Friday.”

Now that it is less than two weeks away, it finally feels within her grasp. Part of her can barely believe that despite everything, all the secrets and lies, all the challenges and obstacles, she has somehow made it through.  The finish line is in sight, and once her place at KSO is secure, she won’t have to worry so much about being let go at an instant's notice. 

It’s a good thing too, since she knows she’s been stalling on her reconnaissance work because of it.  Her own busy workload hasn’t helped matters, but she had been reticent to delve too deep whilst her position was on such tenuous ground.  She had consoled herself with the fact that once she survived the first three months, it would be much harder to get rid of her, and then she could go for it.

And she will.

“All the more reason to celebrate!” Poe grins jovially.  “It’s usually a fun night; good food, good drink, good company.  Just don’t be the associate that falls on their drunk ass on the dancefloor and you’ll be fine.  And make sure you save a dance for me,” he adds finally with a wink.

Rey smiles back at him.

“I’m sure that can be arranged.”

Rey thinks she wouldn’t mind dancing with Poe.  After all, he’s charming, good looking and just generally nice to be around.  His laidback, friendly nature puts people at ease, whilst his boundless energy injects excitement into any situation.  It’s a strange mix, but somehow it works.

Most importantly, it’s easy.

Rey never has to think too hard around Poe.  She doesn’t have to worry about a choir of different voices chanting in her head, or try to remember to breathe through her mouth lest she get a whiff of his mind-addling scent.  Poe smells like Alpha too – of course he does – but it’s not quite as bad as… well… other people.

With Poe, she never forgets herself.  She knows who she is and who _he_ is and where everyone stands, or close enough. 

It’s nice.  Nice and straightforward. 

Easy.

Unlike… well… other people.

“Mmm, _damn_ this pizza is good,” Poe moans with his mouth full, smacking his lips.  “Come to think of it, pizza might be my favourite of all foods.”

Rey hums along appreciatively as she picks at a straggler piece of pepperoni.  She loves pizza too, although she finds it hard to pick just one favourite food when she has so many to choose from.  Cheesy pizza and saucy pasta and salty fries and creamy chocolate - basically anything healthy. 

It’s probably because her experience with delicious food has always been so limited.  Hell, up till a couple of months ago, food in general was a luxury.  Growing up, meals were scarce and bland, which is perhaps why little Rey had begged for chocolate cake as her birthday present throughout most of her primary years. 

Sadly, her birthday wish had always gone unfulfilled. 

Even if money hadn't been so tight, Rey still doubts her mother would have obliged her.  She had always been sprouting on about how an Omega needs to watch her figure if she wanted to land a capable Alpha.

It was an odd philosophy, particularly because Omegas in general tend to have a voluptuous figure, since a well-fed, healthy body would better promote conception. Rey suspects her mother had stuck to that idea to make herself feel better, seeing as she certainly hadn't fit the stereotypical image of an Omega; what with her gaunt face, bony frame and sunken eyes. 

She had fulfilled other Omega stereotypes though; much to Rey's disgust.

Stereotypes like an Omega’s unwavering dependence on an Alpha.

Even before Rey had presented, her mother had instructed her on the “ways” of the Omega, with little Rey having to sit through countless lectures on demureness and submission.  In her mother’s mind, there was no possibility that Rey could be anything else, and much to Rey's chagrin, she had been proved right in the end, though she hadn’t been around to see it. 

Even as a child the concept of striving to be a skinny, docile Omega that is only good at spreading her legs and blindly obeying an Alpha had never struck Rey as a winning strategy.  It’s even less appealing now, as she ruefully remembers the little girl who, after walking miles home from school each day since steadfastly avoiding puddles lest water get through the holes in her boots, would then have to hide in her room that doubled as a storage cupboard and be quiet so as to not disturb whichever Alpha they were living with at the time.

Yeah, that strategy didn’t seem to work out very well for her mother or herself.

So Rey takes another bite of her pizza. 

At least she doesn’t have to feel guilty about that.

However, the minutes are ticking by and they haven’t even talked about the case yet and Rey can still feel her boss a few blocks away, and he's not getting any happier. 

"So, this case...?" she prompts eventually.

"Right!" Poe snaps his fingers.  "So I've been handballed a rather sensitive situation.  One of my biggest clients is having trouble with her teenage son."

"What kind of trouble?" She asks, idly wondering if the answer will be drugs, alcohol, girls or some kind of combination of the three.

"Ah, well see, he kind of... embezzled five million dollars from her company."

Rey blinks hard, her curiosity piqued.

"That's... not what I was expecting."

"That makes two of us," Poe replies.  "Apparently he's a wiz with computers and has hacked into their bank account as some form of social activism.  He disagrees with the company's policies on environmentalism, or lack thereof I suppose."  He shrugs and then sighs heavily.  "Juliana doesn’t know what to do; if she turns him in, he will likely face jail time since he’s just turned eighteen, but I fear if she doesn’t act soon and the truth comes out, she could be charged as a co-conspirator."

Rey lets out a low whistle.

"That's quite a pickle."

Poe hums his agreement, his features serious for once.

"Yeah.  I've been trying to convince her to going to the authorities, but haven't had any luck so far.  I thought maybe you might have some ideas."

Rey blinks again in surprise.

"Wait, you... you want her to turn in her son?"

Poe arches his brow.

"Of course I do.  If she gets caught, she could lose everything.  It's not like he stole from just _her_ , he stole from her publicly listed company.  That's a big deal, Rey.  If it gets out that she knew and said nothing, she could lose everything."

"I get that, but surely there must be another way?"

"Well I could go to the authorities on her behalf, but then I fear she could still-"

"I don’t mean with the authorities," Rey interjects. "I mean with her son."

"Her son?" Poe's forehead knits in confusion.

"Yes.  Why doesn’t someone talk to him? Surely he can be reasoned with."

"I don’t think so, Rey.  Juliana has already tried.  He is refusing to give the money back, regardless of the consequences.  Says he hates his mother and he's determined to hurt her, even if it hurts himself in the process."

Rey mulls that over for a moment.

"What has he done with the stolen money?"

"Nothing yet, but he’s planning to spend it on a 'Save the Wildlife' fund.  Feed zebras or lions or something.  It's only a matter of time."

"Maybe not."

Poe looks at her incredulously.

"You don’t understand, Rey.  The money's in his account. He's had it for nearly a week already.  Every second that passes brings us that much closer to him carrying out his plan. We don't have much time to act."

"If he's had the money for a week already, then why hasn’t he already spent it?"

Poe runs a frustrated hand through his messy curls.

"Maybe because he had to finalize the details, or perhaps he wanted to rub it in, or-"

"Or perhaps he doesn’t want to spend the money at all."

"Rey, I just told you, he's already got it."

"Yes, he took it,” she agrees, “but he hasn’t _spent_ it. Spending it makes it real, makes it irreparable.  Spending it results in jail time for him and potentially his mother.  But if it's just sitting there in his account... well, then there are all sorts of possibilities."

"Possibilities like...?"

"Like a reconciliation with his mother?"

"You think he stole five million dollars so he could eventually make up with mommy?" Poe's voice is filled with derision, and Rey has to stop herself from feeling a little affronted.

"I think," Rey continued delicately, "maybe he acted out of anger towards his mother, but then realized he isn’t quite ready to sink that particular relationship for good.  It's clear that things between them are strained, but perhaps he isn’t ready for the finality a move like that would bring.  Perhaps, rather, he is looking for attention, hoping to highlight the dire state of their relationship so they can do something to fix it?"

Poe considers her words carefully.

"I suppose it's possible," he says eventually.  "So what would you propose we do?"

"I’m not sure there is anything _we_ can do.  The only people that can sort this out is the two of them.  From what you’ve said, it doesn’t sound like Juliana is ready to give up on him either.  If they could just get together and sort out their differences, hopefully he can be persuaded to return the money.”

He eyes her skeptically.

“As far as plans go, I can’t say I’m a fan, Rey.  There is an awful lot at stake here to take a chance on the whims of an unpredictable, irrational, angry young man.”

For a moment, Rey is struck by how much that sounds like something Ben might say.  Funny, she hadn’t expected it from Poe.

Rey shrugs in response.

“You wanted my advice… well, there it is.  This way, you could still end up winning all round; you just have to have a little faith in a son’s love for his mother.  If he sees her standing up for him, fighting for him, for _them_ , refusing to turn him in despite the risk it poses to her own life… then he might reconsider his actions before it’s too late.”

She takes another bite as Poe seems to mull over her words, and then he’s shaking his head with a wry grin.

“Just wait till I tell Leia about this plan.  She’s gonna tell us we need our heads examined.”

“I don’t see why,” Rey counters quickly.  “She’s a mother; surely if she put herself in Juliana’s shoes, she could see the merit of it?”

“Leia and Juliana have plenty in common, that’s for sure, starting with difficult sons.  That said, if she really was in Juliana’s shoes, I doubt Leia would do something like that.  She and Ben have never been close.”

Rey feels her eyes widen.

“Never?”

“Ha, no way!” Poe laughs, brushing off her look of shock.  “As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, your boss is a pain in the ass, and trust me when I say that isn’t a new development.  Solo and I go way back.”

Rey tenses.

Some part of her feels a sharp pang of fury at Poe’s words, almost like he’s attacking her personally. 

She feels torn between saying something in Ben’s defence and biting her tongue so she can keep listening.  For some reason, it just doesn’t feel right for Poe to be levelling claims like this about Ben when he isn’t around to refute the allegations. 

When she thinks about it, he hasn’t really said anything she hasn’t thought herself at one time or another.  Ben _is_ an ass, a lot, most of the time actually.  He positively _oozes_ arrogance and condescension with his haughty demeanour and superior stare. One minute she finds him hot-headed, and the next he is icy cold and indifferent, and neither temperatures are pleasant to experience. 

And yet…

Ben had taken a chance on her when no one else would have.  Ben had mentored her, offering her advice when she had really been struggling.  Ben had been kind to her.  He’d brought her mini muffins, taken her out to lunch more often than could be considered reasonable, and just generally made her feel like a worthy commodity.

He’s a senior partner, and she is just a first year associate.  He’s her boss, and she works for him, but sometimes they almost feel like partners. 

Equals.

So somehow overall, despite everything, she can’t say she has a poor opinion of him.  Her sense of justice demands that she interjects, that she corrects Poe’s assumption on her attitude towards her boss.

And she would…

Except, she spots a rare, glimmering opportunity.  A chance to learn a little more about Ben Solo, the enigma, from someone who has history with him. 

She feels a little guilty even thinking about entertaining the idea, like she'd be prying into something that is really none of her business.  It's just… her curiosity when it comes to Ben and his mother is overwhelming.

She just can’t understand why he has such a hang-up with her.  Leia Organa is brilliance personified. Incredibly talented and a lovely person to boot. He should be thrilled to be related to someone like that.

And yet he clearly isn’t.

In the end, curiosity wins out.

“Oh?” is all she says, innocently prompting him to continue.

“I’ve known Ben since my first year at Coronet University when Leia started mentoring me.  He was always sulking in his room when I came over, most likely plotting to hide dog shit in my car or something, probably wrote about his plans in his diary – he seemed the type to keep a dairy.”

He chuckles at the memory and Rey chews on the side of her cheek, willing her heart to stop racing. 

“I don’t know what his problem was.  He was already in, Rey; his grandfather had been one of the original founders of the firm and his mother was a partner.  _I_ was the one that needed all the help I could get.  I didn’t have any connections, I was just lucky that Leia took pity on the son of one of her old school friends and took me under her wing.  Ben should have been grateful; Snoke was eager to mentor him, and I’m sure Old Ben would have offered too, but instead he moped and pouted and glared at me like I’d ran over his puppy.”

Poe sighs dramatically.

“I suppose I could have forgiven him for it.  He wasn’t as bad in the early days; more pathetic than unpleasant.  He was a high school freshman back then, a real awkward, gangly kid, all ears and nose and limbs… poor guy.  You would have laughed if you met him back then, Rey,” he chuckles.

But Rey isn’t laughing.

It all starts making sense in Rey's mind. His resentment of Leia, his intense dislike and jealously of Poe; they click together like puzzle pieces, slowing revealing a picture.

A picture of a sad, lonely boy who felt overlooked and unwanted.  A boy that craved love but would settle for acceptance.

A painful, clawing sensation crushes her chest, so strong it just about takes her breath away.

Her heart aches at it, because she can see it.  Ben; a sad, lonely teenager, tucked away alone in his room whilst his parents ignored him.  It’s an image frighteningly close to her own childhood.  His bedroom might have been nicer, his house in a more expensive neighbourhood, his parents in a stable relationship, but the principle is the same.

It makes her question everything.  Everything she thought she knew about him.

Yes, now the resentment he shows towards Leia and Poe makes perfect sense.  Who wouldn’t be resentful towards a mother that favoured another, and the peer that stole that favour?

Is that why he had become a lawyer?  Because of an overarching need to prove himself to his family, to prove he is worthy?

It feels so oddly similar to her own reasons for venturing down that path that she can’t help but feel shaken.

Poe doesn’t seem to notice though, as he continues with an air of indifference that sounds ugly to her ears. 

“But then he graduated, grew into his ears and bulked up a bit. Got himself laid.  Became the jerk we know and tolerate today.”

He throws Rey one of those winning smiles, but she can’t return it. 

She knows what she is supposed to do.  She is supposed to laugh, to joke about it with Poe, to share her own Ben Solo story that paints him in a terrible light and makes him fit the role of antagonist that Poe has so clearly cast him in.

Some part of her rational brain knows that Poe isn’t a horrible person.  That he has a past with Ben that positions him to view him a certain way.  Everyone is the hero in their own story, so it makes perfect sense that in his mind, Poe is the hero and Ben is… not.

And rationally, she knows that if she had asked _Ben_ about _Poe_ , he might have been just as callous, perhaps even more so.  There is no love lost between them, Ben has made that blatantly clear over the past few months and Ben isn’t one to hold back at the best of times.

And yet, one thing suddenly becomes blatantly clear to Rey.

Ben might be the villain in Poe’s story…

But he’s not the villain in hers.

Far from it.

A second thing becomes apparent as well.

It’s time for Rey to get back to the office.  She’s been away long enough already.

***

Ben stares at his computer screen without really seeing it, so consumed is he with blind rage.

To say he had taken Rey’s display of defiance poorly would be somewhat of an understatement.

Thankfully since then, Maz had wordlessly helped him retrieve the scattered contents of his desk from the floor, for which he’d been grateful.  Her eyes had spoken volumes though, their knowing gaze clearly telling him she’d known exactly how his things had ended up there and most probably why as well.

It makes him wonder how the hell he had ended up surrounded by so many infuriating Omegas.

Damn them all to the fiery pits of Hux’s mother’s basement.

Especially Rey.

His vision blurs at the edges with the fresh thought of her.

Because seriously, how does she not fucking get it?

Making sure she’s well fed, that's _his_ thing. Taking her to new exciting places and watching her face light up as she gets to experience something different, that's _his_ fucking job.

Poe Dameron can't just swoop in and take that away from him, like he always does with everything else.

 _He_ found Rey, he got to her first, and sure, that’s never mattered in the past when it came to contending with that smarmy, smiling fucker, but it should matter _this_ time.

The idea that history might repeat itself, with _her_ …

Well, it forces him to clench his fists and count backwards from one hundred lest he repeat his desk sweep of rage from earlier.

And then, as if actually possessing some kind of alarm that signals the exact point in time when Ben can’t want to see him any _less_ … in walks Hux.

“Ren, I-”

“Get the fuck out, Hux,” Ben barks without preamble.  “I’m not in the mood to tolerate your bullshit today.”

Hux blinks, but remains otherwise unmoved.

“Luckily for me, I’ve never bothered to concern myself with your mood.  It always seems to fluctuate between various states of ‘rotten’.”  He takes another step into Ben’s office, and it’s not helping Ben’s anger levels.  “Is your associate here?”

That’s the wrong question to ask.

Ben’s jaw clenches.

“No.”

“Oh, where is she?”

“Out,” Ben grits out painfully.

“Do you know when she'll be back?” Hux asks coolly, whilst Ben tries not to explode.

“What do you want, Hux?”

If Hux is affronted by his brusque tone, he certainly doesn’t show it.  No, he remains infuriatingly calm, inspecting the nailbeds on one perfectly manicured hand, because of course today he is suddenly unflappable.

“I wanted to see if she wanted to sit in on a deposition with me.  It’s a rather remarkable case; I thought she might be interested.”

Ben’s blood pressure reaches new heights.

Jesus _fucking_ Christ, is he going to have to fend off every fucking Alpha in the building?

He is starting to wonder whether Rey’s win had been a blessing or a curse.  The fact that she had been so unbelievably brilliant excites him to no end.  Unfortunately, it also seems to have the same effect on every other man in a one block radius.

“So…” Hux prompts, because oh yeah, he’s still here, and Ben hasn’t responded yet. “When will she be available?”

Well that answer’s easy, at least.

“Never,” Ben snaps.  “Now leave and don't come back.”

He turns back to his screen, still staring rather blankly at the words rather than really taking them in, and waits for Hux to leave.

He doesn’t.

And when Ben finally looks up at him, Hux is looking down.  At Ben’s desk.  Or more specifically, at the stack of papers on his desk.

“Why do you have a copy of the Millennium Aviation bylaws on your desk?” Hux asks with an arched brow.

Ben’s stomach sinks.

Instantly, his priorities shift.  He can’t afford outward rage right now.

He quickly schools his face into a mirror of impassivity.

“The new CEO has asked us to handle the sale of the land under the flagship factory.”

Annoyingly, Hux doesn’t look any less curious.

“And why would that require you to go through the bylaws?”

“State law requires a summary be prepared in the event of a sale.”

“Everyone knows that privately held corporations are exempt from that,” Hux contradicts quickly, his eyes narrowing further. 

Luckily, he has an answer for that too.

“Not if the sale exceeds $150 million.” 

It’s true, of course.  Something Hux can look up himself on the State website, if he so chooses.  A perfectly plausible reason for examining the bylaws. 

Airtight.  Ironclad. 

Ben forces his mouth into his self-assured smirk.

“You know me; I like to be thorough.”

“Hmm,” is all Hux replies, and that does nothing to alleviate the clenching in Ben’s gut.

A curious Hux is a dangerous thing.

A curious Hux could lead to a snooping Hux, which could then result in a snitching Hux.  He always had been a tattle-tail and the last thing Ben needs right now is Snoke finding out about any of this.

Thankfully, the discerning gleam in Hux’s eye dies, and Ben holds in his sigh of relief as Hux turns to leave.

“Do let Rey know I was looking for her.”

 _Yeah, fuck all chance of that_ , Ben thinks as his solitude is reinstated and his black mood returns.

He tries to work, he does, but most of the time his eyes are on the clock at the bottom of his screen, watching the minutes tick by.

God help her if she isn’t back by the end of her lunch hour.  He’ll make sure she never forgets it.  Hell, he’ll be doing that regardless, but if she’s out past her lunch hour, it’ll be worse.  Somehow…

He gets lost in brainstorming what exactly he _would_ do if she doesn’t make it back in time, which has the added benefit of keeping him from picturing Rey at lunch with Dameron.  That’s good, because otherwise he’d be going crazy imagining the two of them, joking and laughing and sharing food, Dameron feeding her pizza and wiping sauce off her chin because she’s such a messy eater and goddammit, _he_ is the only one that should know that adorable fact about her. 

In the end, he is still completely lost in thought when Rey walks in with a whole ten minutes to spare.

He’d be relieved if he wasn’t already so pissed.

To make matters worse, she has a bright smile on her face, like she’s had the time of her life, and God, how he hates _everything_ right now.

“Hey, I don’t know if you've eaten already, but I brought you back some pizza.” 

She places a smallish pizza box marked with grease stains on his desk and the aroma emanating from inside is nearly as intoxicating as her own scent, but he can’t be bought like that.

He’s not _that_ easy.

So instead, Ben does his best to ignore her.  Even as she takes a seat in front of him, peering across the desk expectantly with a cool, calm expression.

They stay that way for several long moments before she breaks the silence.

“Still grumpy?” 

Her tone is bright and flecked with humour and it makes his eye twitch.

“Busy,” he grunts.  “And I hate pizza.”

“No, you don’t,” she replies matter-of-factly, and he hates her nearly as much as he hates himself right now. “We ate pizza last week.  You finished _my_ meal for once.”

He glares darkly at the screen in front of him, but then he sees her stand out of the corner of his eye, and he has to stop himself from begging her not to leave, because Alphas don’t fucking beg, and he is as Alpha as they come.

But she doesn’t make for the door.

No, instead she sashays her way around his desk to his side, hips swaying in a tantalising way as she walks because she’s finally starting to learn how to walk in heels, and seriously, fuck his miserable life.

He’s not going to look up at her.

He is not.

He’ll just continue to ignore her.  It’s what she deserves.

Except suddenly she is hopping up onto his desk, and now he _is_ looking without even trying to, not at her face, but at her legs because they are right in front of him, and why oh fucking _why_ did he ever tell her to fix her wardrobe, because now she is perched on _his_ desk, gorgeous, tanned legs peeking out below that sweet little skirt she’s wearing, and he is in his own personal hell, and all he wants to do is spread her legs with rough hands and shove his tongue as far up her cunt as it can possibly go.

“So, you’re not going to talk to me?” she asks, those incredible legs of hers swinging slightly, making her skirt ride up just a little.

It’s all extremely unfair.

Because he is fucking _furious_ with her, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to bend her over the desk for a quick, hot fuck regardless.

And… yep.  Now he’s hard.

_Fucking hell._

He takes several long, deep breaths, willing his heart to stop racing a million miles a minute.  God, why is she affecting him so much?

He has to get out of here. 

 _Now_.

Ben jumps out of his chair so fast she flinches.  It flies back and bangs against the wall behind him, but he doesn’t care, he just has to leave. 

He doesn’t make it a step before she stops him, one of her delicate hands pressed against his chest.

“Ben-”

He resolutely ignores how good his name sounds coming from her lips and throws her his blackest of glowers.

“I have to go.”

But her hand remains in place.  Apparently she isn’t finished.

“I'm not going to apologize, Ben. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

He scoffs harshly.

“That's a matter of opinion.”

“I’m allowed to talk to other people.   You can’t stop me from helping my friends.  I’m not your personal slave girl.”

And doesn’t that put one hell of an image in his head.  Images of Rey in some kind of scantily clad, cave-woman-like getup come flooding unbidden to his mind.  It certainly appeals to the Alpha in him.

Ben blinks away the thought and stifles a groan as his cock somehow manages to grow even harder in his pants.

“I’m leaving,” he tells her darkly, because that’s all he can manage amidst his hot temper and even hotter desire. 

Except, she still hasn’t dropped her hand.  That little hand that’s burning a hole straight to his heart.

He’s about to do it for her, about to grab it and fling it from him so she can’t scald him with it any longer-

"Ben..."

He finally looks at her face.  They are just about eye level with each other now, what with him on his feet and her seated atop his massive desk, and to his astonishment, she looks almost as forlorn as he feels.

“Please don't be mad.  I don’t want to fight with you,” she says in a soft, quiet voice as her eyes implore him, and she looks so uneasy, so apprehensive, and just like that, his anger crumbles.

He still needs to get the hell out of there.

“I’ve got to go, Rey,” he tells her, but his own voice is softer now, the fire already dwindling.   “I only have a few days to find a new CEO.  I need to speak to some head-hunters.”

“Don’t you have any candidates in mind?”

“One,” he concedes reluctantly, “but I'd rather not go there. He’s a last resort. His communication skills are atrocious and he wouldn’t present well to a board.”

Rey nods, and then suddenly looks hopeful.

“Can I come with you?”

“No!” he exclaims quickly, before biting his lip and steadying himself.  “No, I need you here handling the due diligence.”

Jesus, he needs to get away from her.  Having her tag along would completely defeat the purpose.

“Okay…” she says finally, not looking overly pleased, but resigned nonetheless. 

He grabs his phone and the pizza box and makes another attempt to escape.  This time, he nearly makes it to the door when a hand grasps his own.

“Ben?”

She must have jumped off the desk and followed him, and now she’s got hold of him, her hand like a hot brand on his skin.

Hesitantly, he looks down at her and finds her looking back up at him with wide, earnest eyes.

“I don’t know about Snoke and Leia,” she tells him, the soft pad of her thumb lightly grazing the back of his knuckles, “but if I have to pick a side, I pick yours.”

Those beautiful, hazel eyes of hers shine with conviction, and his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows and nods.

She lets her hand drop, breaking her hold of him, and he jerks away quickly. 

He doesn’t run for the door, because Alphas don’t run, especially from Omegas, but his stride is longer and faster than usual, and when he is sure he’s finally out of her line of sight, his hand flexes from the ghost of her touch that's left his skin tingling and heart full to bursting.

He needs to shake this off, before he does something really stupid.

And he will... just as soon as he stops smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, what a dope!
> 
> Just a quick, preemptive note from the Rey/Poe lunch before I start getting hate mail – do keep in mind that Poe’s assessment of Leia’s maternal instincts is just that – Poe’s assessment. It’s his opinion, but whether or not it proves to be accurate remains to be seen :)
> 
> Up next: The hunt for the CEO intensifies, and it’s Ben's turn to learn something. Plus a family reunion of sorts for Ben.
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping to see next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


	13. Bloodline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben experiences several tense family reunions and makes a startling discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!
> 
> Two words: VANITY FAIR! You can probably still hear me screaming from Australia.
> 
> To those waiting so patiently for the [Deck the Halls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16956579/chapters/39847815) update, I’m nearly finished editing so it should also be up soon!
> 
> A big thanks to Rebecca ([LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism)) for her advice on this chapter, she is a godsend! 
> 
> This chapter is named after a song by Barbarossa.
> 
> Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Much to Ben's frustration, four days with Chandrila's top head-hunter fails to unearth any suitable candidates for the CEO position at Millennium Aviation.

It is particularly annoying, because time isn't on his side in this one.  He had been hoping for a quick discovery, a champion he could hang his hat on, but none had been forthcoming.

He tells Rey as much on Friday morning.

"Now we have less than a week to find someone and prep them in time for the board meeting on Wednesday. I don't have time for this shit."

He rubs at his temples as Rey chews thoughtfully on her pen from where she sits on one of his couches.

"I thought you said you had a candidate in mind."

"I said I had a last resort," he corrects with a frown.  "I'm not that desperate yet."

"Aren't you?"  She arches a brow at him.  "We have to get a move on, Ben.  If we don't find someone today and we have to use your fall-back, we'll only have two days next week to prep them... and it sounds like he'll need all the help he can get.  Why not cut your losses and take the plunge today - give yourself some breathing room."

"It's not just that.  I'm not sure how... receptive this guy's going to be to my plan."

"All the more reason to talk to him today.  We need to know what we're dealing with."

"Oh, that's easy. We're dealing with a seven foot Neanderthal who positively hates me."

Rey gives him a wry smile.

"Let me guess - you slept with his wife or something?"

 Ben laughs in spite of himself at the absurdity of the suggestion.

"Not quite.  The oaf's my godfather."  Rey blinks at him, but he just shrugs.  "It's a long story."

“So how does he tie into all of this?”

“He’s the production manager there, responsible for manufacturing.  The company has him to thank for its stellar reputation; his years of hard work, attention to detail, the team he has cultivated.  It’ll be hard to get him past the board, but if we can, he’ll do a damned better job at running that company than Ducain.”

"And, how exactly are you planning to get the godfather that hates you to go along with your idea?"

"He has always chosen to not identify with his management title because he prefers the factory floor to the boardroom, but that might change if he learns the livelihood of all his workers is at stake.  I can make him see the necessity of this; my powers of artful persuasion are legendary.”  He grins at the dubious look on her face, before adding, “And if that fails, I’ll hide behind my clever associate and bank on the man's soft spot for a pretty face."

"Is that so?" Her arms are crossed over her chest, but he can see the amusement dancing in her eyes and it spurs him on.

“Of course.  Gotta get my money’s worth out of you somehow.”

Okay, so he’s posturing a little.  He knows full well that she is the best associate at Kenobi Snoke Organa, perhaps even in the whole of Chandrila.  Her mind is an amazing thing – the fact that she’s easy on the eyes is just a bonus.  Still… she doesn’t need to know that.  He doesn’t want her to get too cocky.  That’s his thing.

She doesn’t look the slightest bit fazed by his comment anyway.

“I'm starting to feel like the only reason you keep me around is to throw me in front of men in the aviation industry that you need things from.”

“I'm okay with that,” he replies smoothly, to which she rolls her eyes.

It’s not true, of course.  Ben is very careful about who he exposes Rey to.  Ducain is a disinterested beta who probably hasn’t used his dick to do anything but piss since he graduated from college, and his godfather… well, he might enjoy rearranging Ben’s face with his fists if given the chance, but he would never disrespect a woman. 

In short, he would never expose her to someone that might envisage something… sexual… with her.  Like an unmated Alpha.

Ben is a firm believer in using every weapon in his arsenal to win, but the win wouldn’t be worth it if that’s what it cost.  He’d rather lose. 

Hell, he would stand between her and a mob of rutting Alphas and happily use his own body as a human shield before he let anyone touch her.

But, again, she doesn’t need to know that.

“So, what’s the plan?  Should we go see him now?”

Ben considers that.

Showing up unannounced might be dangerous, but it is also probably the only way to guarantee that he will see him at all.  If Ben calls ahead, he will more than likely bar Ben from the floor, or disappear himself so Ben can’t find him.  A sneak attack might be the best option.

“Now is good.  It’s a bit of a drive though.”

“A drive?”

Ben nods.

“He manages the factory, so he is based in Corellia.”

“Corellia?” Rey repeats wide eyed.  “But that’s _hours_ away.”

“Two and a half by car, but who’s counting.”

His calmness appears to mollify her.

“How will we get there?” she asks.

“I'll drive us, obviously.”

That sceptical brow of hers quirks again.

“You can _drive_?”

Ben feels a prickle of offense run through him at her tone.

Truthfully, Ben had been driving before he’d legally been allowed to. 

It was something his mother never knew; the way his father would take him out for joyrides after he finished his homework.  It might be the best memory he has from his childhood; that feeling of freedom as the road stretched out before him, music blaring, his father grinning in a way he barely ever does unless he is in some kind of moving vehicle.  At the time it had given them some common ground, and even after all these years, the fact that it remains their little secret, makes it one of Ben’s fondest memories.

“Of course I can drive,” he bristles.  “I'm not _that_ useless.”

Now it’s her turn to look affronted.

“Hey, I can't drive...”

The implication hangs between them, and he knows she’s fishing for an apology, but he just throws her a smug smirk.

“My point stands.”

She swats him on the arm.

“Watch it,” she tells him warningly, “or I’ll take my pretty face elsewhere.”

“ _Oh no_ …” he intones with a heavy dose of sarcasm, but the pinched look on her face makes him smile in spite of himself, and he feels an urge to ruffle her hair or pinch her cheek or something.

She just looks so fucking adorable when she’s pissed off.  

“Come on,” he says instead, grabbing her by the arm at heading for the elevators. “As you’ve already pointed out, we’re running out of time.  You’ll just have to pout at me in the car.”

***

With traffic, it turns out to be a three hour drive to Corellia, and by the time they arrive, Rey can't get out of the car fast enough, and not just because Ben has awful taste in road-trip tunes. 

No, Rey now clearly knows that three hours trapped in a moving vehicle with Ben Solo and his delicious scent are three hours _more_ than she can handle.

She almost feels a little loopy when she steps out into the fresh air of the Millennium Aviation carpark, like she's high on fumes or something. 

Her only comfort is that she doesn’t seem to be the only one affected; Ben's been unusually quiet for the past hour and a half and several times he had looked like he might have forfeited breathing all together like some kind of vampire. Maybe he had found it just as uncomfortable as she had. Or maybe he'd just been shocked and appalled by his associate who had taken to hanging her head out the car window like a dog for half of the trip.

His car - which they fetched from a garage on the other side of town - is black and sleek and sporty, like some kind of automotive manifestation of its owner.  In short, it is way too nice to be driven so seldomly.  Ben has a driver to get around the city on a daily basis, so she assumes this beauty is only taken out for a spin when he has a day off… which she knows from experience is not often. 

It’s a shame, really.  It’s a nice ride.

She hears Ben’s car door slam behind her as she stares over at the factory and the land that it’s on that started this whole mess in the first place.  It’s huge; an older building, constructed in outdated red brick and featuring faded, discoloured signage.  The parking lot might be bigger than the building, and with barely a spare space in sight, Rey realises how many people depend on this business remaining in Corellia.

She turns to Ben as he walks over to her.

“You’re doing a good thing, Ben,” she tells him as he pulls up beside her, “trying to protect all these people and their jobs.”

“How many times do I have to tell you – I’m not doing it for them.  This is purely about displacing an incompetent moron.”

She eyes him sceptically.

“You know, the world wouldn’t think any less of you for doing something selfless for once.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”

A frustrated huff escapes her.  Dear lord, he is positively _infuriating_ sometimes.

Rey shakes her head, determined to move past his obstinate attitude.

“So, before we go in, should we do another run-through of the game plan?”

Ben turns to her and counts off the steps on his fingers.  “Track him down. Fill him in.  Pray he doesn't strangle me.”

She arches a quizzical brow at him.

“And… why again, does he hate you so much?”

Suddenly he can’t seem to look her in the eye.

“It’s a really long story.” 

“Right…”

He waves her concern away with a grin.

“It’ll be fine.  Probably.  Besides, I have you here to run interference.  If things look like they might be getting a little heated, count to five and jump in.”

Rey crosses her arms over her breasts and stares up at him, challenging.

“You’re asking me to throw myself between you and the furious seven-foot production manager of Millennium Aviation?”

Ben shrugs.

“Not if he’s mid-swing… But if it’s all clear, then sure.”

Rey stares him down.

“Between you and me, I think you could benefit from a good pummelling.”

His eyes narrow on her, the wickedness suddenly emanating from them sparking a jolt low in her belly.

“That’s a dangerous thing to say to someone who has your End of Probation form sitting on his desk.”

Rey could almost fancy he is contemplating some other way to discipline her, some other, very unprofessional way... and she tries her hardest to ignore the thrill that runs over her. 

She steals herself against the sensation and barrels on resolutely, forcing her words into a light, playful tone.

“But whose pretty face will you depend on to save you from men that hate you if you let me go?”

“Have you got anymore smartass comments to make, or can we head inside?”

She pretends to consider that before saying, “I’m done for now,” with a teasing smile.

“Would you look at that – miracles _do_ exist,” he exclaims to the sky above him, and she giggles in spite of herself as she follows him in.

***

Rey needs less than a minute from meeting Peter “Chewie” Chewbacca to understand the whole 'terrible communicator' comment. 

To say he is displeased to see Ben would be somewhat of an understatement.

He takes one look at his godson and quickly makes his anger apparent through dark scowls and gruff expletives she can barely make out through his thick kashyyykian accent, before turning on his heel and stomping off in the other direction down the factory floor.

Ben gives chase, and Rey is hot on their trail, following them to a large office-come-workroom in the back corner, but by the time she gets there, the door has slammed shut, with Ben on the outside.  He looks beyond frustrated and pounds on the door with a large fist.

" _Open the door_ ," Ben commands in his Alpha voice, deep and rough and booming and it... does something to her. 

Rey isn't sure what kind of effect it would have on a male beta like Chewie, but to her, it sends ripples up her spine, her whole body suddenly standing at attention, striving to hear whether the Alpha demands anything of her, ready to jump into action to obey.

The door remains shut, and the Omega in Rey's head itches to fling the door open and appease the Alpha command.  It’s an uncomfortable feeling, one she has barely ever experienced in her entire life - save the day of her KSO interview.

She has to shut her eyes to steady herself, forcing herself to ignore the command that washes over her like a wave, and yeah, that’s terrifying.  

God, this command hadn’t even been _directed_ at her.

It’s not like she could open the door for him anyway.  She has nothing to feel guilty about. 

Ben, who is completely oblivious to her sudden internal struggle, pounds the door again and curses in frustration.

"We need to talk, Chewie.  If not for your sake, then for the sake of your people." 

Rey thinks she hears Chewie utter ‘ _ungrateful slimeball’_ through the door, though through his guttural mumbling, she can’t be sure.  Either way, the door remains shut.

“Wow, he really does hate you,” Rey whispers to him.  “Are you sure you didn’t sleep with his wife?”

Ben scowls down at her.

“Would you quit it with that?” he hisses.  “I'll have you know, I don’t sleep with married women.  He’s just still butt-hurt about the union negotiations I led last year.  And then there was the thing at Dad’s sixtieth…”

“What happened at you dad’s-”

“Come on, Chewie!” Ben booms, cutting her off with another punch to the door.  Rey realises they are starting to attract a bit of attention from some of the nearby workers.

Finally, Ben sighs loudly and dramatically.

"Fine, if you won't speak to me, I guess I'd better start letting your workers know they need to start looking for new jobs."

That does the trick, apparently, because suddenly the door swings open and a long, hairy arm comes out of nowhere to yank Ben inside by the collar before slamming the door once more, leaving a stunned Rey on the other side.

She is banging on the door herself now, to no avail.  It is stuck fast, and Chewie doesn’t seem to want to let her in.  So much for running interference…

Feeling very much out of options, Rey presses an ear to the door and strains to listen to the discussion inside.  Between the thick wood of the door and Chewie's even thicker accent, she struggles to make out much of what is said says beyond a string of colourful curses - most of which Rey assumes must be native to Corellia given their unfamiliarity to her, but snippets of Ben's speech come through loud and clear.

_"--Ducain is shutting you down---- has a buyer---- only way to stop him---- challenge him as CEO--"_

The roar that follows makes Rey back up a step, and for a moment she wonders if maybe Ben hadn’t been kidding about the possibility of being beaten to a pulp.

She tries the knob again.

“Mister Chewbacca?” she calls urgently through the door as she bangs hard on the wood with her closed fist.  “Please open the door?”  She had been aiming for her own version of an Alpha command, but sadly it falls a little flat. 

When she receives no response other than the continued sounds of muffled arguing, she steps away and swiftly looks around, scanning the workshop for something to pry the door open.  She can’t do anything to help Ben while they are on one side of the door and she’s on the other.  She needs to get in that room.

She spots a fire hydrant mounted on a wall, but decides against breaking the door down and has instead decided to ask one of the spectating workers if they can help her get the door open when she hears it swing wide behind her with such force that it nearly goes flying off its hinges.

She spins around just in time to witness Ben – who looks more dishevelled than she’s ever seen him – being shoved through the opening before it slams unceremoniously shut once more.

His suit looks rumpled, the fabric of his shirt that is always a crisp, pristine white now featuring several prominent black smudges, but aside from that he looks unharmed and to her chagrin, the Omega in her gives a little sigh in relief.

“Fucking animal!” Ben hisses at the door as he straightens his collar that now looks to be missing its top button.  “Let’s get out of here.”

Since he doesn’t seem to be in the mood to entertain objections, she goes without a fuss, and they steadfastly ignore the curious looks and sniggers from several onlooking workers as they make a beeline for the exit.

"So... that went well," Rey says as they reach his car, carefully looking over at him.  He looks frustrated, annoyed, but not as angry as she would expect him to be after being roughed up by a seven foot giant.  He almost looks resigned.  "I don't suppose you have any other angry, last resort godfathers up your sleeve?"

"Just the one, unfortunately."

"Brilliant."

He chews on the inside of his cheek, pacing back and forth in front of the car, occasionally running a frustrated hand through his hair.

“Okay... okay, I can fix this.”

“Ben…” she starts tentatively, “I think maybe we should keep looking for another option like you said-” 

“No!” he shouts. “No, you were right this morning.  There are no other options, and we’re out of time.  It has to be him.”

“Ben, I really don’t think-”

“He’s the one, Rey.  I can make this work.  I can make him see reason.”

“Really? How?”

She eyes him sceptically until he rolls his eyes and gives her a dismissive wave.

“Okay, maybe _I_ can't, but I’ll find someone who can.  This is going to happen, Rey.  He is going to be Millennium Aviation's next CEO, whether he likes it or not.”

She smiles at that, at his stubborn determination to bend everyone to his will.  He is such a stereotypical Alpha sometimes.  Too bad he is so bad at it.

“Okay…” 

That thought reminds her of something he said earlier, and she can’t resist the opportunity to tease him.

“Can I just say,” she says, lowering her voice dramatically with a teasing lilt, “your powers of artful persuasion are _top notch_.” 

Ben throws Rey and her ‘A-OK’ hand gesture a withering glare.

“Are you going to do anything helpful today?”

She can’t hold back her laughter as she shrugs.

“Hey, I flashed my pretty face at him just like you asked.  It’s not my fault he wasn’t on my side of the door long enough for it to work.”

“Don’t forget I still haven’t signed off your End of Probation form.”

“ _Oh no_...” she whispers dramatically, echoing his own words from earlier, before smiling up at him cheekily.

“You're such a brat,” he huffs and she laughs again.

“Would a brat listen to emo metal power ballads for a three hour car ride without complaining once?”

If he’s embarrassed about her assessment of his music, he doesn’t say so, though she fancies the tips of his ears that just barely peek out through his hair look a little pink.

“This brat better.  She’s caused me enough trouble as it is.”

“Oh please, you love having me around.”

Ben snorts and gets into the car without replying, but once Rey’s back in the passenger seat and she catches a glimpse of his profile, his mouth betrays just the hint of a smile.  She hides her own behind her palm as the dramatic, old school heavy metal starts blaring again. 

Then she winds down her window and mentally braces herself for another three hours of aromatic torment.

***

They arrive back in the city at dusk, so Ben sends Rey straight home.  It’s a very good thing.  Being pent up in a car with her all day has taken its toll on him, and he desperately needs some space, lest he completely succumb to the insanity of the hormone-fuelled narration in his head.

Besides, he has pressing matters that require his urgent, undivided, _lucid_ attention.

Heading back into the office at this time on a Friday night is hardly his idea of a good time, but he has a hunch that the only person that might be able to help him out of this fucked up situation will still be there, and so he stalks past the crowds of KSO employees flooding out from the elevators to the lobby to start their weekends and heads back to his floor, but not to his office.

No, instead he finds himself standing in front of an office embossed with the lettering:

_Leia Organa – Name Partner_

“Good, you’re still here,” he says, stepping inside without preamble.  “I assumed you would be; you never did get home before midnight.”

His mother looks up from her computer screen, and the look of surprise on her face is so slight that he almost missed it.  _Almost_.

“Hello to you too, Ben.”  She leans back in her chair and eyes him quizzically over her cat eye spectacles.  “I assume you aren’t here for a social visit, so how about you tell me what you want.”

She never had been one to propagate bullshit and bluster.  It is one of the few things he respects about her.

“Yes, let’s cut straight to it.”  He takes a seat facing her.  “I need you to talk some sense into that giant baboon of yours.”

Leia sighs heavily.

“It’s not respectful to call your father a baboon, Ben.”

Ben nearly laughs at that. 

“I didn’t mean him, although I see why you’d make that assumption.  Think taller, hairier, more muscle mass and even more uncivilised.”

“Chewie?”  Leia asks, eyes contracting further as Ben nods.  “What do you want with him?”

“That’s not your concern. I just need you to talk him into behaving himself long enough to hear me out in a rational manner.”

Leia gives him a long, hard look as she taps her pen against the desk.

“What the hell are you doing, Ben?”

He just bats his eyes at the question, his face schooled into that impassive mask he has perfected.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Her lips tighten in response.

“I’m not a moron, Ben.  I know this has something to do with Millennium Aviation.  I know you went through those bylaws and I _know_ you’re up to no good.”

Of course his mother knows about Millennium Aviation and the bylaws.  It’s just his luck.  She always seems to know everything - always has, especially things he’d desperately wanted to keep hidden from her.

Ben tries to hide his annoyance by giving her a nonchalant wave.

“Not at all.  I just wanted to preclude any potential litigation.” The argument worked on Hux, hopefully it would work on her too-

“Don’t be smart with me,” she says in that tone that makes him feel like a child again.  “You looked at the bylaws for a tactical reason and we both know it.”

Ben tries to stare her down, but her shrewd, scrutinising gaze is interminable, and eventually he gives in.

“ _Fine_ ,” he drawls, lounging back in his chair before admitting with a careless shrug, “I want Ducain out.”

Leia barks out a humourless laugh, shaking her head.

“ _Of course_ you do.  But I think we both know that’s not your decision to make.”

“I don’t care.”

“ _Of course_ you don’t,” she sighs, pursing her lips, before muttering under her breath.  “So much like your father.”

That gets to him.

“Hey, don’t bring _him_ into this!”

“Well, god knows you didn’t get this recklessness from me.  You’re not doing this for him, are you?”

“Oh please,” Ben scoffs, rolling his eyes, but his mother can’t be stopped, it seems.

“-because he wouldn’t want this, Ben.  He wouldn’t want you to jeopardise your job-”

It’s enough to make him explode.

“Of course he would!  Jesus, have you even met Dad?  There's nothing he loves more than his precious planes.  But luckily I'm not doing it for _him_. I didn’t do this for Dad, or Chewie, or anyone else for that matter.  I did it to get Ducain out.  The guy irritates me.  He’s a bore.”

“Mhmmm…”

Ben throws up his hands.

“Whatever.  Believe what you want; you always do.  I didn't come here for career advice from the great Leia Organa.  I've survived without it my whole life; why start now.  All I want from you is to convince Chewie to work with me.  I need him to cooperate for my plan to work.”

His mother gives his shirt an appraising glance.

"Roughed you up a bit, did he?"

"He always was better at communicating with his fists than his mouth," Ben shrugs.

Leia eyes him for a long moment before letting out a reluctant sigh.

“This is a terrible idea… but I’ll see what I can do.”

He should probably say thanks, but any attempt at verbalising gratitude sticks in his throat, so instead he nods and mutters, “Good,” before rising from his chair and rebuttoning his suit jacket. 

He starts to head for the door, not wanting to prolong the meeting – it’s been painful enough having to ask for help from these quarters as it is – when his mother speaks again.

“I met your associate the other day.”

The breath hitches in Ben’s throat while his stomach jumps for some inexplicable reason.

“Is that so?’ he returns levelly, blanking his face of all expression.

“Mmm,” his mother nods.  “She’s a lovely girl, very bright.  No flies on that one, that’s for sure.”

“So glad you approve,” he mutters, not bothering to conceal the sarcasm, and turns to leave.

“You know,” she goes on, even as he opens the door to her office, “it's funny, but I'm pretty sure Old Ben's daughter ran off with an Alpha named Jensen.”

And just like that, his heart stops.

Ben freezes on the spot, before slowly turning around to look at her, wide eyed. 

“I mean, she was young when she left, barely eighteen, and my memory is a little hazy after all these years, but the name rings a bell. They had a daughter too, if I’m not mistaken,” she continues, all traces of humour wiped from her face.  “She’d probably be about Rey’s age now.  What a coincidence…”

She shoots Ben one last dark, pointed look, before returning her attention to her computer screen.

Ben swallows hard and makes for the exit as fast as his feet can carry him. 

He stumbles back to his office in a daze and slumps down into his chair, all thought of Chewie and Millennium Aviation forgotten.

It can't be true.  Surely it can't be.  His mother's just messing with him, planting a seed of doubt, trying to worm her way between him and his associate, probably so she can steal Rey for herself.

Although, the more he thinks about it...

The more unsettled he feels.

Because, she does look familiar - always has.  And he, well... he had just assumed it was something in him recognizing something in her. 

 _She doesn't look anything like Old Ben,_ he reasons to himself with a sigh of relief.  They don't have the same colouring or features.  They couldn't possibly be-

Except...

Now that he thinks about it - really thinks - there's something he just can't put his finger on.  Something he can't quite place.  Something that flickers on the edge of his mind, conjuring snippets of her in his mind's eye - the way she concentrates, or quirks her brow.  The way she smiles...

It's nothing.  Nothing tangible. Nothing concrete.

And yet...

It's something.

Maybe he’s just being paranoid.  Maybe he’s going crazy.  He probably is.  His Omega would _never…_

But, she isn't _his_ Omega, and she _would_ do it.  She'd done it before… Lied to him…

Doubt seeps through his veins like a virus, and suddenly that’s enough.

Enough to make him pick up the phone in search for answers.

Normally he would use Phasma. She is the firm’s private investigator, and she is excellent; could sniff out the truth like a bloodhound. But she has ties to Snoke, and Ben needs to keep him as far away from Rey and her secrets as possible.  So instead, he dials another number, a number that sat in his favourites list many years ago, but hadn't been used in years.

He’d rather not call.  He _hates_ that he has to call.  But he needs to.

He needs to know.  Needs to know the truth.  It'll eat him alive if he doesn't.

The phone rings for three beats before it’s answered.

“Kid?”

Ben takes a deep breath.

“Hey. I know it’s been a while, but I need a favour.  And you can’t tell Mom.”

***

That weekend is one of the longest of his life.  He'd been told it would take a few days to gather the information he'd requested, and so he had waited, as patiently as an Alpha could.

He still hadn't heard anything on Monday morning, and so he had done his best to avoid her like the plague all day, instructing Maz to keep her distracted with busy work and locking himself away in meetings.

On Monday evening, the information finally comes through.

He devours it greedily, flipping through page after page so quickly he barely has time to absorb what he’s read before he's moving on. 

An address is included on one of the earlier pages, and once he’s read enough he programs it into his phone and heads for the parking garage in the basement where he’d left his car.  Half an hour later, he arrives at a dingy looking brownstone in a less than savoury neighbourhood.  Under any other circumstances it would bother him, but right now he's struggling to think with the blood thundering in his ears.

A million stairs later and he arrives at a blue door - _her_ door, and he gives it three loud knocks.

He waits a moment.

Two.

He’s not in the mood to be patient.

His hand is poised to bang again, when the door finally opens to reveal Rey - looking so different to how he usually sees her - in sweat pants and a slouchy jumper, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun.  She looks so soft like this.  So small.  So vulnerable. 

So _Omega_.

Any other time he would be completely disarmed, but right now his blood is up and her designation only serves to remind him of another thing she’s lied to him about.

Rey blinks up at him, wide eyed, almost dazed.

"Ben?  What are you-"

"We need to talk, Rey,” Ben grinds out, the bitterness overwhelming.  “Or should I call you _Kira_?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce we have reached the first "shit has hit the fan" portion of our story. 
> 
> Congratulations to darkside_nuggets who was the first (and only) person to correctly guess Chewie as Ben’s CEO candidate! I thought atrocious communication skills was a dead giveaway for Chewie, but in a way it certainly could also be applied to Han now that I think about it haha. 
> 
> Vale Peter Mayhew – our Wookie xo
> 
> Up next: The confrontation, and the Gala begins…
> 
> What did you think of this chapter, and what are you hoping to see next?? Please leave a comment below, I would LOVE to hear from you – it’s my favourite part :D
> 
> Until next time, happy Reylo-ing xo  
> [Tumblr](https://aims777.tumblr.com/)


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